


Our Great Affinity

by Night_Hawk94



Series: Affinity Series [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), bughead - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Light Angst, Love, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, Smut, Soulmates, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-04-20
Packaged: 2019-02-26 10:12:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 79,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13233546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_Hawk94/pseuds/Night_Hawk94
Summary: Bughead AUWhen Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones end up working at the same bookstore, their connection is sudden, intriguing and definitely unexpected and it isn't long until they can't fight or ignore the obvious spark between them anymore.





	1. First Days and First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, 
> 
> So this is something new I’ve been working on - it’s a little more romantic than my last one, but I hope you all enjoy it!  
> I’ll try my best to update as often as I can! Xx

There was always something about the first day of anything that made Betty Cooper incredibly nervous. For some reason and for as long as she could remember, that had always been the case. She had been nervous on every first day of school, on her first day waitressing back at Pops, on her first day in New York City and on her first day studying at NYU. 

Betty wasn't exactly sure why she felt the way she did. Perhaps it was because she couldn't predict what would happen throughout the day or if the over exaggerated scenarios she had created in her head would actually come true or not. Either way, anyone who knew her, knew that it was something to expect from her at this point. 

When the cab she was in pulled up to one of the many curbs in New York's Greenwich Village, Betty hopped out of the car, paid the driver and bought two cups of coffee from the same vendor she always bought coffee from.

As she hurried down the cluttered sidewalk, she felt that all too familiar sense of anxiety prickle it's way to the surface, causing her to clutch at her jacket with her free hand and pull on it until it was tightly wrapped around her slim torso. She took a few steadying breaths, forcing herself to face the reality of the day - because today would officially be her first day working with a total stranger. 

She had worked with plenty of people in past and this certainly wasn't her first day working or having a job, but she had never worked with someone she had never met before and that concept in itself was terrifying. 

Pushing her insecurities aside for just a moment, Betty couldn't help but smile when she rounded the corner and saw one of her best friends; Kevin Keller, patiently waiting for her. 

"Morning boss!" she said once she was close enough, knowing that Kevin absolutely hated it when she or anyone else called him that. Betty half expected him to frivolously glare at her or to banter back, but today he simply rolled his eyes and grinned at her. 

They had met during their first year of college through 'chance' and through a close friend they both shared named Veronica Lodge. It had taken just one hour of fun, easy flowing conversation for the three of them to become almost inseparable. 

"Morning!" Kevin said brightly, smiling at Betty when she handed him a cup of coffee, "Whats this for?" 

"I just wanted to thank you for being here," Betty explained, "You know how I can get on days like this." 

Kevin smiled warmly. 

"Of course Betty, I mean technically I have to be here anyway, but I don't mind hanging around until you feel comfortable." he said, looping his arm with hers. 

"Well, I'm very grateful Kev." she said, smiling as they made the short journey to work together. 

For Betty, accepting a job at a second hand bookstore called The Paperback turned out to be one of the best decisions she had ever made. After essentially wasting three years of her life studying to be a journalist and then wasting another year attempting to be one, she had finally put her foot down and said 'no' to the ideal dream her mother had always planned for her. 

In many respects, Betty did like the idea of being an journalist so much so that she had even joined the school newspaper during her sophomore year of high school - but she had soon discovered that studying journalism and then implementing it in the real world or in a place like New York City was an entirely different story. 

Of course her decision to leave that career choice behind, left her without a job or a steady source of income. Luckily though, Kevin swooped in and saved the day by getting her a job at his families bookstore, one she had kept for the last two years. It wasn't much, but at least it filled her day and gave her the opportunity to do what she really wanted to do - which is write, but on her own terms. 

Even now as she stood in front of it, watching Kevin open the door, she couldn't get over how much she still loved the place. She adored everything about it. From its large display windows to the hardwood floors and the narrow stair case at the center of the room leading up to the shops second story. 

Inside it was warm and welcoming, with comfy leather chairs scattered all around and tall mahogany shelves lining the walls, all of them stuffed with an endless stream of hard copy or paperback books. 

Betty looked around the now familiar space and smiled. She derived a great deal of pleasure in knowing that everyday she was lucky enough to be surrounded by some of the many things she loved the most. 

"So, this person you've hired isn't some kind of weirdo right?" Betty asked as she shrugged out of her coat and took up her usual seat behind the stores large wooden counter. 

"No," Kevin chuckled, "It's just a friend of mine from college." he said nonchalantly. 

Betty frowned. 

"Kevin, we had the same group of friends in college." 

"I know we did," Kevin laughed, "But he wasn't part of our circle." 

"He?" Betty repeated, almost spilling her hot coffee on her jeans. Kevin smirked at her reaction. 

"Yes Betty - 'He' as in the opposite of she." he teased playfully. She glared at him, clearly unimpressed. 

Once again, Betty wasn't sure why the prospect of working with a guy even bothered her. I mean she was friends with guys and she had worked with Kevin for a short while when she had first gotten the job, so why was this suddenly a problem for her? 

She decided that it had nothing to do with gender, but with change. She was so used to having and efficient partner like Ethel running around for the last two years, she realized that it would be strange to see someone new trying to fill the very large shoes she had left behind. Couple that with her anxiety and suddenly it all made sense. Regardless, Betty was really, really glad that Kevin was here right now. 

"Well, it looks like your new hire is going to be late." she said pointing at the clock behind her. 

Kevin smirked and sipped his coffee. 

"He's still got ten minutes." he pointed out. 

Betty sipped her coffee as well and shrugged her shoulders slightly. 

"Let's hope he doesn't disappoint then." she smiled. 

 

Sure enough - approximately ten minutes later, Betty heard it. The unmistakable sound of the door opening downstairs. She pretended not to though and carried on with the task of reorganizing one of the book shelves upstairs until she heard Kevin's voice and that of a strangers drifting up to meet her ears. The sound made her freeze and feel slightly anxious. She hesitated for a moment before slipping the last book into place with sigh. 

"You can't avoid this forever Betty," she mumbled to herself.

She stood slowly and walked towards the waist high railing on the upper level until she was close enough peer down. The first thing she saw was Kevin, smiling broadly as he spoke animatedly about something and then she shifted her eyes to his college friend and her new co-worker. 

He stood with his back to her and from this angle all she could really make out about him was that he was tall - a little taller than Kevin actually, who was pretty tall already - and that he had thick, dark hair. Although it was difficult to tell what colour it actually was given that he wore a grey, crown shaped beanie. She thought that detail was a little odd, positively certain that she had never seen a beanie like that before. 

"Oh there you are Betty!" Kevin said, immediately snapping her back to reality, "Betty this is Jughead Jones - Jughead this is Betty Cooper." 

Betty barely had a chance to properly compose herself before Jughead turned around and looked at her. She was a mess again in a matter of seconds. 

She wasn't sure what it was about him that made her so tongue tied so suddenly - perhaps it was his striking blue eyes or the slightly curious smirk he wore or maybe it was just him - regardless, it took Kevin clearing his throat to bring her back again. 

Betty felt a little overheated and was painfully aware of Jughead's eyes watching her as she descended the stairs towards them. She exhaled heavily and slowly brought her eyes up to his, checking her emotions before she dared to speak again. 

"It's nice to meet you Jughead." she managed to say, politely holding out her hand. He took her hand and inclined his head slightly, allowing a loose curl of black hair to fall across his forehead. 

"It's nice to meet you too, Betty." he said, softly and with a smile. 

~~~

To say that Jughead was a mystery would be a bit of an understatement. 

Yes, he was incredibly good looking in a care free, boyish and free-from-vanity kind of way, but once her eyes had gotten over the initial shock of seeing him, Betty soon discovered that Jughead Jones liked to present himself as a bit of an enigma. 

He hardly said a word to her after their encounter that morning and spent most of his day in other parts of the bookstore, occasionally helping customers or busying himself with various tasks. If she did happen to see him the encounter was brief and their interactions never went beyond glances or short 'work' related conversations. Even though it was utterly ridiculous, she started to think that maybe Jughead was blatantly avoiding her. 

His absence surprised Betty and, honestly, it confused her more than she thought it would. Of course, the self doubting, over-thinker inside her wondered if she had done or said something wrong - but then she realized that that would be impossible given that they had hardly interacted with each other. 

Kevin of course read the situation perfectly and wasn't being subtle at all - throwing several knowing smiles and eyebrow wiggles her way - and after about an hours worth of his non stop teasing, Betty was actually glad when he left. 

By the end of the day, she had grown rather tired of the forced, but not so forced silence between her and Jughead and went outside to try and fill it with the endless sounds of urban New York. 

Autumn had settled over the city, bringing with it a much colder and more unforgiving kind of air. Even so, Betty loved New York like this - or more specifically she loved the colours. She watched the brown, red and golden leaves twirl and dance on the wind as it carried them down the busy street. 

She smiled, relieved that she was finally starting to relax, when a hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder, making her jump and pull away violently. 

"Betty- Betty! it's me," Jughead said, gently grabbing her shoulders to try and keep her still. It took a few seconds for Betty to succumb to his calming grip and once she had, she realized how close they were standing and immediately stepped back a little - ducking her head to hide her involuntary blush.

"Jeez Jughead, you can't grab people like that!" she gasped, resting a hand over her beating heart. 

"I .. I'm sorry Betty - I didn't mean to scare you," he said apologetically, "I thought you heard me coming." 

Betty was caught off guard. Firstly; because he was talking to her and secondly; because of how candid he was being with her. She should be cold towards him especially after the silent treatment he'd given her all day, but instead she found herself sighing internally and forgiving him on the spot. She really needed to calm down because strictly speaking he hadn't done anything wrong. 

"It's uh - it's fine Jughead." she said, straightening her sweater a little self consciously, "Whats up?" 

"I just wanted to say if you want to take off early, you can. I don't mind locking up store," he paused to rub the back of his neck with his hand, "It's uh - been a pretty slow day." he admitted sheepishly. 

Betty raised her eyebrows. She hadn't expected that - not the offer or the display of shyness. Was that why he had been avoiding her all day? Did she make him nervous? That thought was once again, completely ridiculous. 

"Oh," she said, more softly then she intended to, "Thanks, but I think I should hang onto the keys until Kevin gets you a set. I usually show up pretty early for work anyway." 

Jughead folded his arms across his chest and - to Betty's surprise - he smiled at her crookedly. 

"I promise I won't be as late as I was this morning. I'm usually an early riser as well." 

Betty chewed on her lip indecisively, her fingers toying with the keys in her pocket. Technically there wouldn't be anything wrong with letting Jughead lock up, right? I mean, Kevin clearly trusted him, plus he wasn't wrong. Today had been really slow and it wouldn't be very polite to turn him down seeing as he was just being nice. She conceded and pulled the keys out of her pocket. 

"I swear if I get here tomorrow and the shop isn't open -" 

"- It will be." he promised her. She hesitated a for moment before nodding and handing him the keys. 

~~~

Betty had to admit that leaving work early did have it's benefits and one of them was coming home to a quiet, empty apartment. 

Even though it had been almost five years since she had moved to New York with Archie and Veronica, Betty still wasn't used to the incredible, but outlandish Upper West Side residence the three of them shared together.

The whole apartment just screamed quality and extravagance. It was beautiful and rare (because let's be honest, owning an apartment near Central Park - not close enough to see it from their windows, but close enough to practically drive past it everyday - at this stage of their lives was rare and virtually unheard of). 

Betty smiled to herself, thinking that it was the perfect representation of her wealthy raven haired best friend. 

She sighed as she shrugged out of her coat and kicked off her shoes. She checked the time and smiled when she saw that she still had a good hours worth of alone time left until Archie or Veronica came home. She went to the bathroom next and started running a bath, deciding that she needed one after today. 

As soon as Betty slipped into the warm, vanilla scented water she immediately felt at ease and much better. She soaked amongst the bubbles for while, thinking absentmindedly until her thoughts strayed to the only interesting thing that had happened to her today; the arrival of Jughead 'The Mystery' Jones. 

Her 'first day' anxiety had basically disappeared within a couple of hours of him being there only be replaced with confusion and intrigue. Because Jughead Jones did interest her. A lot - but he also confused her to the point where it was maddening to think about. Also, the fact that they had only been working together for one day didn't help the situation at all. 

Betty sighed and rubbed her temples. 

Maybe she should just accept that he's one of those strong silent types or maybe she should ask Kevin what Jughead's deal is. Both options were available at this point and Betty was in the middle of deciding which one she was more likely to choose and follow when the bathroom door suddenly opened. 

Betty straightened up and her arms flew up to cover her chest as quickly as a reflex action. She was both furious and embarrassed until she realized that it was just Veronica. That was the second time today she been scared out of her wits. 

"Jesus V, don't you knock?" Betty muttered as she unplugged the bath and climbed out to wrap herself in a towel. 

Veronica smiled crookedly. 

"Really B? everything you have, I have as well." she pointed out, with a grin. 

Betty shook her head and smiled at the typical Veronica-esque response. Yes, we may have the same basic parts, but thats where it ends she thought as she walked past her friend and headed for her bedroom. 

Truthfully, Betty had always been a little self conscious about her body while Veronica had always been exceptionally confident about hers. It had absolutely nothing to do with jealousy - they were just different people. 

"By the way, Archie's getting pizza for dinner." She heard Veronica say behind her. 

"Great!" Betty said over her shoulder, as she pulled out some comfy after work clothes from her cupboard. Pizza did sound really good right now. 

"So how was your first day working with a total stranger?" Veronica asked, casually leaning against the doorframe. 

"It was ... surprising." Betty said, not really sure how else to word it, because it had been surprising and confusing in more ways then one. 

Veronica's interest was immediately piqued. With a curious smile on her lips she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. 

"How so?" she asked, her head tilted to one side. 

Betty chewed on her lip and didn't say anything while she tied her loose blonde hair into a messy bun. A part of her didn't want to talk about her first day with Jughead, but a part of her wanted some perspective as well. She looked at the eager expression on Veronica's face and caved in with a sigh, telling her everything - from the overwhelming first impression she got from Jughead to the confusing silence that followed after. 

By the time Betty was done they were both sitting on her bed and Veronica's smile had turned into a full blown, toothy grin. 

"Sounds like you have a pretty interesting situation at work." Veronica teased, having picked up on the fact that Betty found Jughead 'mildly attractive'. 

"Interesting is right," Betty sighed, "I just can't help but think that maybe I did something -."

"Okay B, let me stop you there," Veronica interjected, "You haven't done anything wrong, maybe he just needs some time to adjust before he opens up. Although I do find it hard to believe that Kevin would be friends with someone who isn't as open and excitable as him." 

Betty nodded in agreement. That wasn't like Kevin at all. 

"Do you think I'm reading into this too much?" She asked after a while. 

"A little," Veronica admitted gently, "Maybe you should ask Kevin about Jughead's behavior and see what he has to say?" she suggested and Betty smiled, having had that exact same thought a short while ago. 

Great minds she thought with a chuckle. Maybe it's a sign.

Before Betty could say anything else, they heard the front door open and both of them knew that it was Archie with the pizza's. 

"Ronnie? Betty?" They heard him yell from the kitchen. Veronica responded immediately, hopping off the bed and basically sprinting from the room to greet her boyfriend. 

Betty followed at a much slower pace, thinking about her idea and Veronica's suggestion - deciding that she would talk to Kevin tomorrow and get some insight on her new, mysterious new co-worker. 

She smiled to herself, wondering if he would actually keep his promise.


	2. Promises, Fate and Explanations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, 
> 
> So here’s the next chapter which I hope you will all enjoy!! Let me know what you think and thank you so much for all the love I’ve received so far!! Xx

Jughead groaned when he heard his alarm shatter the silence - successfully and annoyingly prying him from his dreams. 

He fumbled around blindly for a moment until he found his phone and turned off the loud, obnoxious sound.  
He yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, knowing that it was early - so early in fact that the rush of the early morning had barely even started yet, but his new co-worker was an early riser which meant that - until he got his own set of keys - so was he. 

After changing into a fresh set of clothes (making a mental note to stop by Kevin’s later for a much needed shower) and having the remanence of his dinner for breakfast, Jughead pulled on his trademark beanie and left confines of the small storeroom behind. 

He knew that sleeping in one of The Paperback’s unused storerooms wasn’t exactly an ideal situation to be in, but he didn’t have much of a choice at this point. 

Less than a year ago, finding a place to sleep hadn’t been a problem for him, but now that he had walked away from his previous life and all of the privileges that it had to offer - it suddenly was. 

Before he had always managed to find someone who was willing to share their meal or offer him an empty bed or couch to crash on - ‘Because Serpents take care of their own’ - but now his options were limited to cheap takeout and sleeping in a tiny storeroom at work. 

For months now, Jughead had been sleeping on Kevin’s couch and even though his friend insisted that he wasn’t imposing at all, Jughead just didn’t feel right mooching off Kevin any longer than he already had - especially now that Moose (Kevin’s new boyfriend) was in the picture.

So instead, he settled for Kevin’s second offer; to work at The Paperback and use one of its empty storerooms as a warm, safe and temporary place to sleep. It may not be much, but it was a start, a fresh foundation that he could use to build a new and different life upon - one void of his troubled past.

Jughead checked the time then and according to what Kevin had told him, he had maybe twenty minutes left until Betty Cooper would show up for work. He sighed heavily. 

Betty. 

He was still trying to decide what course of action would be best to take with her going forward - especially after the pathetic and confusing way in which he had he handled things between them yesterday. 

When Kevin told Jughead that he would be working with someone at the bookstore, he never thought in a million years that he would be working with a person as unexpected and ... distracting as Betty Cooper.

Truthfully, from the moment he saw her staring down at him - she had stunned him completely. To the point where he was left speechless - which was practically unheard of, because Jughead Jones always had something to say. 

He had never met a girl who had floored him as quickly as she had. 

Yes, he had noticed other girls before and he had even been in a few relationships, but the fascination he felt towards Betty Cooper was unexplained and different. Very different. 

After one day, he knew that it was impossible for him to think that he knew anything about her, but he did know, from simple observations, that she definitely wasn’t the type of girl he was used to seeing - beautiful, intelligent, wholesome, kind, gentle and ... pure. 

There was something about her - about the way her green eyes watched him when she thought he wasn’t looking, that terrified and intrigued him beyond the point of reason. 

He had no idea why she interested him so much, but he suddenly had a mad urge to find out. 

But ‘fate’ it seems had other ideas in mind that day, because every time Jughead worked up enough courage to try and talk to Betty, some kind of obstacle would present itself and get in the way. Whether it was a task, a phone call on either end or even a customer in desperate need of their help - something always managed to distract or pull them away from each other. 

When their lunch break finally arrived, Jughead thought that maybe he would get an opportunity to talk to her then, but some impeccably dressed girl with magnificent black hair showed up and snatched Betty away before he even had a chance to blink. 

Typical, he thought, now that I actually want to talk to her the universe has decided to constantly get in the way. 

He gave up after that, having decided that the world was completely against him, and spent the remainder of his shift cleaning out and reorganizing the stores official stockroom. He had made quite a bit of progress with his task when he heard someone knock softly on the already open door. 

“Hey,” he heard Betty say behind him. 

He straightened up immediately and cursed through gritted teeth when he whacked his head into one of the shelves. 

“Oh my god, Jughead are you okay?” Betty asked as she hurried towards him, concern etched all over her face. 

“Yeah, I’m alright.” he said, wincing only slightly from the pain. Then he felt the pressure of her hand resting on his back and immediately thought otherwise. 

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” she said softly. 

“Well I guess were even then.” Jughead joked lightly. 

Betty smiled. 

“I guess we are,” she chuckled, remembering how he had done the same thing to her the day before. She watched him rub the now tender spot on his head for a moment and bit her lip. 

“I just wanted to say thank you for keeping your promise.” she said eventually. 

Jughead, who was still trying to rub away the pain, stopped to looked at her and nodded his head. I mean, technically he had kept the promise he made to her, but for a different reason - a reason she could never know about. He really needed to get his own set of keys. 

“You weren’t kidding when you said you were an early riser.” she added with a smile. 

“ ‘The early bird always gets the worm’ is the unofficial motto for New York City.” Jughead said, smiling crookedly. He paused then and like an involuntary action rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m uh ... I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk much today.” he said sadly. 

“Oh,” Betty said, sounding a little surprised. Clearly she hadn’t expected that and it made Jughead feel a little more anxious. 

He wondered idly if she had noticed his various ‘attempts’ to try and talk to her throughout the day. He also wondered if that was what she actually wanted from him. In that moment it was maddening, not being able to read her mind. 

He waited patiently for her to say something else, but just as her mouth opened, her phone rang for what seemed the millionth time today, stopping her before she could. She threw him an apologetic look and mouthed the word ‘sorry’ as she stepped away to answer the call. 

“Of course her phone has to ring.” Jughead muttered, with a shake of his head, “Because, God forbid we actually have a conversation.” 

While Betty was gone, he kept himself busy by cleaning up the mess he’d made after bumping into the shelf and by the time she came back, he was done and locking up the stockroom for the night. 

“Sorry about that.” she said quietly. 

“That’s alright. Was it something urgent?” He asked, suddenly eager to know what had gotten in the way this time. 

“No, just Kevin - We’re meeting up after work.” she said, her green eyes watching him closely. 

“Oh, well if you want to take off I don’t mind locking up again.” 

“Are you sure Jug?” she asked apprehensively, “I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.” 

She looked surprised when he laughed at her comment. 

“You’re not,” Jughead promised her, “I’ve made the offer every time remember?” 

“Yeah, but -“ 

“- Betty, it’s fine.” he insisted, flashing her a smile that he rarely ever used, as he switched off the stockroom’s light and gently urged her towards the stores exit. 

Thinking that there was still tomorrow .... that there would always be tomorrow. 

~~~ 

The size of the coffee shop Kevin had suggested they meet at, which can only be described as a hole-in-wall kind of place, did not compliment or accommodate its popularity amongst New Yorkers at all. 

After battling through a thick crowd of frenzied and eager people, gathered in front of the barista’s counter to try and satisfy their caffeine fix - Betty finally saw Kevin. 

“There you are!” Betty heard him say over the noise when she finally reached the table and sat down, “I was starting to worry.” 

“I know, I know ... I’m sorry Kev - there was traffic on the way here and -“ 

“- Betty, it’s fine.” Kevin said, gently placing his hand on hers and smiling widely. She exhaled heavily and smiled as well, feeling an odd sense of deja vu, because she had heard those exact words from someone else less than an hour ago. 

“Of course I wouldn’t have been late if we had just gone to Macy’s like I suggested- this place is always so busy.” Betty pointed out. 

“True Cooper, very true ... but Macy’s doesn’t have the best chocolate cake in the entire city, now does it?” 

Betty smirked. He did have a point. 

They were both laughing when the waitress came over with two spoons and a massive slice of chocolate cake. They ate the rich dessert for a while, talking and laughing together, until Kevin finally put his spoon down and looked directly at her, a curious smile playing on his lips.

“So how are things going at work?” he asked. 

Betty smiled and suppressed the urge to shake her head. Subtle Kev ... very subtle. 

“Works been fine.” she said, bitting back a giggle when she saw the slight frown on Kevin’s face. She knew that he was a man who craved details.

“So things with Jughead are okay? You guys are getting along?” he asked, pressing shamelessly for more details. 

Betty shrugged and hid her smile behind sip of coffee, remembering the small, but endearing interaction they had shared just before she had left. That smile he had given her - wide and almost goofy - was now permanently etched into her mind. 

Truthfully, work today had been very unexpected and she had been surprised from the very get go. 

When Betty arrived at the shop early this morning- coffee in hand and on time, she was beyond astonished to find Jughead already there, dutifully setting up the outside displays for the day. 

Despite the fact that their exchanged greetings had been friendly - things progressed as usual, with that strange and unexplained silence still there and drifting between them, but unlike yesterday, Betty did note that Jughead was a lot more ... present than he had been before. 

His constant lurking and the prolonged stares he gave her had definitely not gone unnoticed by Betty and, unsurprisingly, it intrigued her even more. But of course, every time she tried to talk to him or quench this rapidly building interest, some kind of obstruction would get in the way without fail. 

After a day of haphazard and annoying interruptions, she finally got an opportunity to be alone with him while he cleaned out the stores stockroom. And while the moment had held a strong semblance of promise and progression on both their parts, her only complaint was that it was far too short. 

“Jughead’s fine - he’s just a little quiet though.” Betty admitted. 

She looked at Kevin hopefully, wondering if he would shed a little light on that detail, because if she was going to work with someone as hot and cold as Jughead Jones, then she needed a little perspective and who better to give it to her than one of his friends. 

“Yeah, he’s like that,” Kevin chuckled, “But you’ll get used to it.” 

“So he was like that in the beginning with you as well?” Betty asked - decidedly relieved that she wasn’t the cause of his stoic silence. 

“Yeah he was, but once he gets to know you he does start to open up or at least that’s how it panned out for us ... maybe it’ll go that way for you guys as well.” 

When Kevin winked and smiled knowingly at Betty, she simply rolled her eyes. 

“Kev stop, you’re just as bad as Veronica. I mean seriously, I’ve only known this guy for two days!” she scolded, hoping that he didn’t see the slight blush that had just flooded her cheeks. 

She hadn’t been successful in hiding it from Veronica, whose hawk eyes had picked up on it easily while they were having lunch together earlier that day. 

“But you do like him right?” Kevin grinned. 

“Like I told both you and Veronica I find him ‘mildly attractive’, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to jump his bones any time soon.” 

“Why the hell not? he is single you know?” Kevin smirked, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively. 

“Kevin!” Betty gasped. 

She smacked his arm playfully and they both laughed, the happy sound adding to the coffee shops already electric atmosphere. 

Once they settled again and came down from their banter-filled high, Kevin shifted his eyes and focused them on his friend, suddenly commanding her attention. 

“But on a serious note Betty, I wouldn’t worry about Jughead. He’s always been a bit of a loner and he didn’t say much of anything when I first met him. In fact he never spoke to anyone, but because I was nice to him and simply made an effort to say ‘hello’ and to talk to him everyday, he eventually started to take interest and talk back.” Kevin paused then, his warm smile fading into something more somber and sympathetic. “He’s a good guy, but he’s had a pretty hard life, one that forced him to deal with more problems than the two of us have had combined. So just give it some time and remember; if he’s quiet, don’t take it personally or offensively - it’s just an unfortunate side effect from his past.”

The revelation stunned Betty into a tongue tied state of mind where the only response she could give Kevin was a silent, but small smile and an understanding nod. Needless to say, she felt a lot more comfortable when he ordered another slice of cake and changed the subject soon after. 

When Betty arrived at the apartment later on that night, she was shocked to find it dark and completely empty, until she remembered that every Wednesday was Archie and Veronica’s unofficial ‘Date Night’.

She quickly showered and changed into something comfortable, and after eating the last few slices of cold pizza from the night before, she settled down on the couch and went through the movies on Netflix until she found something vaguely interesting to watch. 

Although that particular act was pointless in itself, because no matter how hard she tired she couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation she had with Kevin and, more importantly, she couldn’t ignore what he had said about Jughead. 

Of course up until now she had no idea what her co-worker had actually been through and technically she still didn’t know, but that didn’t stop her from feeling bad or a little guilty for expecting so much from a person without knowing who he really is. 

Betty wasn’t even sure why she demanded that from Jughead in the first place. Maybe it had something to do with their connection - Sudden and completely unexpected as it was. She would be lying to herself if she said that she had never felt so drawn to someone before. Not even her few previous boyfriends had captured her attention as quickly as Jughead had with just one simple look. 

In many ways she understood the silence a little more now. People who have suffered repeatedly don’t speak about it and eventually they don’t speak much at all. As a child and over the course of her life, she had dealt with her own fair share of crippling problems and the unrelenting pressures that came with being from a small town. 

While Riverdale had been a calm and picturesque place to live in - it was also a town where everyone knew you and you knew everyone. A place where people had individual ideas and expectations for what they wanted you to achieve once you graduated. A town that was quick to politely shun and ‘tolerate’ you if you didn’t. But in hindsight, they were only a small part of the problem. 

Her mother on the other hand was a completely different story. 

For years, Alice Cooper had been an unstoppable and ever-present force in Betty’s life, especially when it came to making big decisions and taking opportunities. After years of always conforming to her mothers requests, it had taken weeks of persistent convincing and an eventual promise to study journalism before Betty was allowed to move to New York City and attend NYU - and even then an hour long weekly phone call and a daily text was part of the deal. 

They were a matching set. A broken boy and a broken girl. 

It was clear that they had had both suffered hardships in their lives, the only difference being that when things became unbearably hard for Betty, she always had someone nearby who was wiling to help and comfort her, while Jughead had absolutely no one. 

Despite this small similarity, Betty knew that she could never understand the gravity of what he had actually been through. But at the very least she she wanted to try and that thought alone made something warm and comforting spread, and take shape inside of her.

Because in that moment, she realized that she wanted to know Jughead Jones. She wanted to understand him and everything that came with that - good or bad. And if that meant that she had wait, then she would - no matter how long it would take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, I usually take about a week to update, depending of course on how well my creative juices are flowing. The most I’ll take to update is two weeks which is very, very rare! ;) 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr @ Night-Hawk94


	3. Rhythms and Liquid Courage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for some fluff ... Enjoy Xx

When Betty got up for work the next day she followed her morning routine as she always did - only this time she made one small, but crucial change. 

She wasn’t sure what buying an extra cup of coffee would actually achieve, but at the very least it would hopefully signify a fresh start in her relationship with Jughead. She smiled warmly at the prospect of starting over, because that’s exactly what she wanted. She was committed now to exploring every aspect of their unforeseen connection and there wasn’t much in this world that could stop Betty Cooper once she had set her mind on something. 

When Betty got to the store, she wasn’t surprised when she found her co-worker in pretty much the same position she had found him in the day before. 

Despite the obvious chill in the air, Jughead took off his denim sheepskin jacket and tied his flannel around his waist while he moved one of the display tables outside and into place. Betty watched him, feeling her stomach flutter at how effortless he made it seem. In the past, it usually took the combined strength of both her and Ethel to move the tables and even then it was hard.

Betty swallowed around the dry lump in her throat and basically forced herself to speak. 

“Morning.” she managed to say without sounding completely ridiculous. 

Jughead straightened up at the familiar sound of her voice and turned to face her wearing his signature crooked grin. 

“Hey,” he said, dusting off his hands on his jeans. His eyes drifted to the coffees in her hand and he frowned slightly. “Rough night?” 

Realizing that he was gesturing to the coffees, Betty composed herself and shook her head. 

“Oh no, these aren’t just for me, I got one for you as well.” she said, flashing him a ‘let’s start over’ kind of smile. 

“Oh Betty, you ... you didn’t have to get me a coffee.” he said, a little surprised by the unexpected act of kindness. 

Betty’s smile only widened at his show of modesty, suddenly realizing how much she loved that about him. 

“I know I didn’t have to, but I did.” she said, urging him to take it anyway. 

Jughead chuckled at her insistence and took it from her with a grateful nod. She watched him take a big sip and a mixed reaction boiled inside when he raised his eyebrows in surprise. She panicked. 

“I wasn’t sure how you take your coffee, so I just got it black with two sugars,” she explained quickly, trying to salvage the situation, “I have some milk if -“ but the words were halted in her throat when Jughead gave her that same wide, goofy grin he had given her the day before. 

“It’s brilliant Betty ... perfect even,” he said reassuringly, “Thank you.” 

 

Turns out, making that decision to buy an extra cup of coffee achieved a lot more than Betty thought it would. 

For the rest of the week and for the week thereafter, she and Jughead fell into an easy rhythm at work, and it wasn’t long until their awkward silence became a thing of the past and being around each other suddenly felt quite comfortable. It was almost as if they had both decided to make the best of their situation. To take a risk and explore the unexplored strings between them. 

Every morning, Betty would greet Jughead with a chipper smile and a cup of coffee and at the end of the day, he would say goodbye to her with an unspoken promise to be at the shop bright and early the next day and every day after that. This quickly became their daily tradition of sorts. 

They also started to have a lot more fun at work - openly joking around and giving each other implied ‘looks’ whenever something interesting, odd or humorous happened. 

She remembered one particular afternoon when Jughead had been tasked with helping a gaggle of feisty old ladies find their desired books and after hearing him being called ‘A very helpful and very handsome young man’ on an almost constant basis, Betty was really struggling to contain her amusement - mostly because she had been in his position many times before. 

Jughead would glance at her every chance he got, grinning broadly, making faces at her and rolling his eyes every time she tried to hide her obvious sniggering behind the book she was reading. 

By the time they were done, Betty was practically choking on her laughter while she rang up the books and once their happy and completely oblivious customers had left, she finally exploded, laughing so hard that she almost fell off her stool. 

“Yuck it up now Cooper, because it’ll be your turn next time!” he had threatened her with a teasing grin. 

All in all, Betty was very happy with their new situation, mostly because it finally allowed her to see the non-mysterious side of Jughead Jones. The side that was warm, kind, smart, sarcastic and surprisingly funny. It was nice to see him come out of his brooding shell a little more, but more importantly, it was gratifying to know that he wasn’t afraid to be himself around her. That that was what he wanted

Of course, he was still a walking enigma, but honestly Betty loved that about him as well.

 

By the time the end of the week rolled around the corner, Betty was looking forward to the weekend, but a part of her, a surprisingly large part of her, was also battling with the idea of not seeing Jughead. It wasn’t a new thought - but it was a silly one, given that two days really isn’t very long space of time to be away from someone, but she had gotten so used to Jughead being around her all the time that weekends were suddenly a lot more difficult for her to enjoy. 

For the next hour, she tried not to stare at the clock or focus on the fact that they would be separated for two agonizingly long days, when Jughead suddenly emerged from the back of the store, his hands behind his back. 

“So I think I’ve found a book you haven’t read before.” he announced proudly. 

“Oh really?” Betty smirked, “And what book would that be?” 

“I think you’ll be impressed.” Jughead said, pulling the book out from behind his back and placing it on the counter in front of her. 

Betty almost died when she read the title of the children’s book he had so thoughtfully picked out for her. She loved this side of him - The goofball. It was her favourite side of him by far and it made the prospect of being away from him even more difficult to bare. 

She smiled coyly and picked up the book to examine it closely. She turned it over in her hands a few times and even opened it up before she placed it back on the counter with a convincing heartfelt sigh. 

“Well, I really hate to break it to you Jones, but I have in fact read this timeless classic.” Betty said. She smirked slightly when she saw a brief grin flash across his face, before his expression shifted to what she could only describe as ‘utterly horrified’. 

“What!” he said dramatically and in mocked disbelief, “There’s no way you’ve read this rare work of fiction!” 

Betty grinned playfully. 

“Oh, but I’m afraid the five year old version of me has indeed read it,” she quipped, her eyes mimicking the playfulness of her smile, “That being said, I would heartily recommend it to you.”

“Really?” Jughead gasped, choking slightly on the chuckle he tried to swallow. 

“Definitely,” she winked, “I mean I know you’re not old enough to read it yet, but I won’t say anything.” she whispered, teasing him further. 

This time Jughead couldn’t stop the roguish grin that spread across his face or low chuckles that escaped from his lips. 

“I know you’re not old enough to read it ...” he muttered, laughing with her when she broke out into a fit of giggles. 

However, their fun little exchange was cut short by the unexpected sound of Betty’s phone ringing - only this time neither of them seemed to mind. When Jughead sauntered away to give Betty some privacy, she pulled out her phone and smiled when she saw the two texts from Kevin. 

K: Come have drinks with us at Declan’s! 

She smiled knowing that ‘us’ meant that Moose would be there as well. She read the second one. 

K: P. S and bring your new co-worker along ;)

Once again, Betty rolled her eyes at her friends lack of subtlety and glanced at Jughead, who had started to bring in the boxes of books from the outside displays. She bit her lip as she watched him, suddenly realizing that this was an excellent opportunity to extend her time with him. She wasn’t ready or even willing to let this week end just yet. 

Besides Declan’s is always a blast on a Friday night, right? 

“What are you smiling at?” she heard Jughead ask, snapping her back to reality. 

“Oh um ... Kevin wants us to have drinks with him and Moose at Declan’s.” she said. 

Jughead smiled as he placed the last box on the floor near the counter. 

“Well I’m in,” he said enthusiastically, “I haven’t been to Declan’s in a long time.” 

“Really? Okay well, you’re definitely coming then!” Betty grinned as she sent a text back to Kevin telling him that they would be there soon. 

With her heart at a constant flutter with the promise of things to come, Betty helped Jughead lock up the store and it wasn’t long until they were standing on the sidewalk ready to leave. Spotting an empty taxi, Betty stepped closer to the curb and was about to hail it when Jughead suddenly stopped her. 

“Why don’t I take us there instead?” he suggested, “Cabs are so god damn expensive anyway.” 

Betty was left stunned. One; because Jughead’s hand was actually holding hers and two; because his words (which didn’t properly register in her mind until the cab she had planned on hailing drove past) revealed something she didn’t know about him. 

That being said, she blinked in surprise. 

“I didn’t know you had a car?” she said, clearly astonished. 

“Well, it isn’t exactly a car ...” Jughead revealed, his tone a bizarre combination of nervous yet confident, “Just wait here.” 

Betty watched him curiously as he disappear down the alley alongside the store and when he came back a few minutes later, her eyes widened when she saw what he had brought with him. 

Jughead gripped the handle bars of his motorcycle firmly, pushing the bike until he emerged onto the street and positioned it along the sidewalk in front of Betty. 

Dumbfounded, she stared at the sleek black vehicle, feeling slightly anxious at the sight of it. In all her 23 years, she had never been on the back of a motorbike before, mainly because she had always told that they were death traps and ‘a funeral waiting to happen’. As unbelievable as it sounds, Betty had actually agreed with her mother on this particular point, so why now was she suddenly questioning it? 

She visibly swallowed then and her stomach clenched a little when she felt Jughead’s hand resting on her shoulder. She looked at him and was beyond relieved when she saw the comprehension in his blue eyes. 

“If you want to take a cab I completely understand.” he said gently and Betty nodded, releasing a shaky breath. 

“I’m sorry - it’s just that I’ve never ...” But she trailed off when Jughead squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, his way of telling her to stop explaining. 

He hailed a cab for her then and after opening the door so that she could climb in, he told the driver where to take her. 

“I’ll see you there.” he said, flashing her his signature grin once again as he closed the cabs door and watched it pull away. 

~~~ 

Declan’s was even louder and more electric than Betty remembered, but it was also warm and welcoming. The unmistakable sounds of music, clinging glasses, cheering and the mumbled hum of conversations surrounded her, making up the popular pubs lively atmosphere. 

She found Kevin and Moose sitting at one of the bars many tables and smiled happily when she saw them both giggle over something Moose had just said. Kevin spotted her then and in his excitement he almost fell off his chair when he did. 

“B Cooper!” he announced, throwing his arms around once she was close enough. Betty simply laughed and stepped back from Kevin’s hug just in time to be engulfed in one of Moose’s classic ‘bear hugs’. 

“Hey Coop,” he said, smiling down at her fondly. 

“Hey,” Betty chuckled, smiling up at him just as fondly, “How much has he had to drink?” 

They both glanced at Kevin, who had gone back to the table and his awaiting beer. 

“It’s only his second one actually,” Moose sniggered, “But don’t worry about keeping an eye on him tonight Betty, I’ve got this.” 

She smiled and hugged Moose again, unbelievably glad that one of her best friends had found someone so great and perfect for him. She knew that things hadn’t always been easy for Kevin, so that easily made Moose one of her favourite human beings in world. 

“Hey!” Kevin said loudly, “Where’s Jones? Did he brood his way into not to coming?” 

Betty bit back a smile and a giggle at the sight of her friend who was well and truly on his way to being inebriated. 

“Oh no, he’s um-“ but Betty trailed off when - almost on queue - she spotted Jughead’s unique beanie weaving its way through the crowd towards them. When Kevin and Moose spotted him as well, they both greeted Jughead with as much enthusiasm as they had given her. 

With the pleasantries out the way, Kevin and Moose disappeared into the crowd to get another round of drinks, leaving Betty and Jughead alone. They were sitting at the table, watching the harmless and amusing drunken antics unfold in front of them when, to her surprise, Jughead leaned in closer. 

“It’s good to see you again! It’s been too long.” he joked. She turned towards him and smiled brightly. 

“I know right! What’s it been ... half an hour?” Betty laughed over the noise. 

“Honestly Betts, it feels like it’s been a lifetime!” he admitted, speaking directly into her ear this time. Betty’s heart stuttered uncontrollably in her chest at the sound of his new, but unexpected nickname for her and at the feel of his warm breath tickling her skin when he lingered there for to long. 

They both pulled back to look at each, their eyes searching one another’s, trying desperately to communicate what they suddenly felt, when Kevin and Moose came back with the drinks, obliviously breaking the moment. 

“What should we toast to?” Jughead asked, once Moose had placed a shot down in front of everyone. 

“To us!” Kevin said, clinking his glass against Moose’s. Betty smiled and like everyone else, followed suit. She purposely saved Jughead for last, smiling at him as she chinked her shot glass against his before she closed her eyes and downed it. 

 

Betty had never been much of a drinker. Even during her high school years she had only been drunk a handful of times. Tonight though, she wasn’t drunk, but if nobody restrained her soon, she would be well on her way. 

Betty smiled at herself in bathroom mirror, feeling the unforgettable buzz that came with drinking slowly trickle its way through her body. 

When she got back to the table, Kevin and Moose had disappeared again leaving Jughead alone. She frowned slightly when she noticed that he was still nursing the same beer Kevin had given him an hour ago. 

“Are you ever going to finish that?” she teased, taking a seat beside him. 

Jughead grinned at her playfully, silently accepting the challenge. Keeping his eyes fixed on her, he lifted the glass up to his lips and drank until there only one or two sips were left. 

Betty shook her head slightly and started to slow clap almost mockingly. 

“Congratulations Jughead Jones, you actually finished a beer!” she exclaimed making him laugh out loud. 

“I was just pacing myself ... besides someone has to be sober and sensible around here.” he winked. Betty laughed and playfully nudged him with her elbow, “And speaking of sober and sensible, I think it’s time I got you home.” he stated. 

Betty’s smile faded slightly. She wasn’t ready to end the evening or her time with him. 

“Honestly Jug, I’m really not that a drunk, besides we can’t just leave Kevin and Moose.” 

“Well, technically we can because they’ve already left.” Jughead explained. 

“What?” Betty gasped, “Why did they leave? When?”

“Well, while you were in the bathroom, Kevin tried to pull his shirt off and climb up onto the table, so Moose decided that it was time to call it quits.” 

Jughead was chuckling by the time he was finished and unsurprisingly, Betty found herself laughing too. 

“Yeah, he’s never been one to hold his liquor.” Betty mused. 

“Believe me I know!” Jughead chortled, “But anyway, we should get going.” 

After gathering up their things, Betty was surprised when Jughead took her hand and led her through the mob of people. She wasn’t complaining in the slightest though, loving the warm, but slightly calloused feel his hand had. 

He didn’t let go of her hand once they were outside either, the cold autumn air unbelievably refreshing after the choking heat of the pub. 

While Jughead scanned the street for a cab, Betty’s eyes drifted to his motorcycle parked only a short distance away and suddenly she was thinking again. More specifically she was thinking about her aversion towards them. 

She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the fact that it was specifically Jughead’s bike, but she suddenly wondered why she had such a big problem with them. Yes, they were dangerous, but so was driving in a car or taking the train or flying even. She had also never been on a bike before, so how would she know whether she would like it or not. She decided she had to find out. 

“You know, I don’t think I have enough money for a cab and I’m not going to make you pay for one so ...” Betty trailed off, glancing at the bike again, “Why don’t you just give me a lift home?” 

Jughead, who was about to signal the empty cab he had just spotted, stilled his movements and glanced down at her in surprise. 

“I thought you didn’t like bikes?” 

“Well ... I’m not exactly in a position to be picky now am I?” Betty said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. 

Jughead bit his lip, his blue eyes deeply startling, as they scanned over her face. 

“Are you sure?” he questioned. Betty nodded and after running his eyes over her one more time, he sighed and led her towards the bike. 

“I uh ... left my helmet at home.” he said a little sheepishly. Betty swallowed. She would’ve felt more comfortable having one, but she had made her decision and she wasn’t about to back out of it now. 

She opened her mouth to say something when Jughead suddenly shrugged off his denim jacket and handed it to her. 

“It’s better than nothing.” he said, helping her into it. He straddled the bike and once he was on, Betty sat down behind him, her heart pumping rapidly when she wrapped her arms around his hard torso. 

“Hold on ...” she heard him say right before the bike roared to life. 

 

Traveling by motorbike was definitely a new experience. A trip from Williamsburg to The Upper West side, that should’ve taken around half an hour was almost halved as Jughead expertly weaved and eased them through the New York City’s nightly traffic. 

It was honestly one of the the most terrifyingly, exhilarating experiences of Betty’s entire life. So much so, that by the time Jughead pulled up in front of her building, Betty didn’t want to get off. Now she could see or rather understand the appeal of motorbikes and why some people liked to travel this way. It was enthralling. 

When Jughead killed the engine, Betty didn’t move right a way - keeping her arms around his waist and her face buried into his back. When she did move a second later, it was very reluctant. 

“Thank you Jug, that was ...” but she found herself falling silent, giving him a breathtaking smile instead.

Jughead understood the meaning behind her smile and returned it, though she noticed that his was a little more smug than hers. She ignored it and shrugged off his jacket, handing it back to him. 

“You’re welcome ... It usually takes one ride for people to either reaffirm their hatred for bikes or to throw everything they thought they knew about it out the window.” he laughed. 

Betty laughed as well and for a moment their laughter was the only sound breaking up the silence. When it eventually died down into a soft chuckle, they looked at each other and that feeling, the same one she had felt back at the bar, the same one she had been suppressing all week swept over her once again - only this time, the liquid courage she had gained from drinking earlier spurred her on. 

Betty moved slowly, closing the space between them until she was close enough to press her lips gently to the side of his mouth, just missing his lips. She lingered there for a moment, pressing the kiss firmly to his skin, until she realised what she was doing. 

When Betty stepped back, Jughead’s eyes were closed and his lips twitched with a faint smile. 

He felt her hand, which was perched on his shoulder, slide down his arm and when he heard her whispered ‘goodnight’, Jughead opened his eyes just in time to watch in awe as she disappeared from sight.


	4. Thoughts and Literary Heroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was a bit of work ... I rewrote and edited it so many times I actually lost count. At least things will start to ... progress for Betty and Jughead from now on ;) 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless and I just want to say Thank you so much for all the love I’ve received so far! You guys are the best!! Xx

Jughead couldn’t fall sleep and to be honest, he didn’t really want to. 

He lay quietly on his makeshift bed, staring up at the storerooms dimly lit ceiling, his hand tucked behind his head with only one thing filtering through his mind; Betty Cooper. 

He closed his eyes and sighed as the memories from the last two weeks eased into his mind and took over. He focused on every smile, every glance, every laugh and every single touch she had given him. Recalling how her astonishing green eyes lit up whenever she saw him and how they had slowly started to simmer with an obvious, but unspoken truth. 

He had seen that specific look in her eyes twice last night. Once at the bar and once again right before she had kissed him - the staggering memory still overwhelmingly fresh in his mind. 

Wearing a smile, Jughead brought his fingers up to his face and traced the skin near his mouth, remembering the soft, but firm pressure of her lips and the faintly sweet scent of vanilla that permeated from her soft skin. She was so unbelievable, so real... the kiss so unexpected that he had stayed rooted to the spot outside her building after she had left - questioning things like he always did whenever something profoundly good happened to him.

Jughead knew that Betty had been drinking. He had kept himself amused by watching her shyness slip away with every sip until she was relaxed and carefree, but not quite drunk. He knew for certain that she wasn’t, by the way her eyes still registered and absorbed everything that was going on around her. She was still the same reasonable and level headed Betty Cooper from the bookstore, only now she had a little Dutch Courage, giving her the confidence to take risks (like riding on the back of his motorbike - which had surprised the hell out of him) and to do what they had both been wanting to do all week. 

Jughead groaned and he folded his arms across his face, his stomach tightening at the thought of her. Did she really do this to him? Was Jughead Jones, the brooding ex gang member falling for the subtle charms of a beautiful blonde? 

He smiled, because -despite himself - he knew thats exactly what was happening. 

A while ago, he had made a decision to never get to attached to anyone or to let anyone get to attached to him.  
It was a consequence and a rule. One that came with being a Serpent. He had joined the notorious gang at a time when he desperately needed some kind of direction and purpose. By the time he realised that it was the wrong kind of direction and purpose, it was to late. The hooks - or the fangs in this case - were in to deep and it would be years before Jughead finally managed to suck out the poison. 

Being in a gang had engulfed him in a life that was an incredibly treacherous and in a world that was harsh and unforgiving - One that he wanted nothing to with now and never wanted to expose anyone to. Especially the ones he loves. 

He sighed at the thought, feeling the skin on the inside of his right bicep - where the scar damaged tattoo still stained his skin - burn and sting slightly. It served as a constant reminder of who he was, and of who he never wanted to be again. After all he had walked away from that life for a reason. 

Only a handful of people had the privilege of actually knowing him - he preferred it that way. Did he really want Betty to be one of them as well? He thought about it for a while, until he realised that it didn’t really matter if he did or didn’t, because he knew she technically already was. 

Usually, it took Jughead a while to feel comfortable before he opened up and revealed bits of himself, but Betty Cooper and the extraordinary connection he had with her, had cracked and smashed her way through his defenses as easily as snapping a toothpick. 

In just two weeks, she had made him question his well thought out decision to stay guarded until he sorted out his life, because all he could think about now was being with her and being himself when he was. Damn all the risks that came with it! 

He knew that he would have to tell her everything at some point - the whole story. And he only hoped that when he did that the way she looked at him - the way she always looked at him these days - wouldn’t change. 

When his phone suddenly rang, Jughead groaned as the intrusive sound pulled him from his thoughts. He reached for it with a sigh and smiled when he saw that it was Kevin. 

“Hey man,” Jughead said, his smile shifting into a smirk, “How’s the head?” 

“Apart from the fact that it feels like a truck ran over it - It’s fine” Kevin said, his voice rough as gravel and filled with regret. 

Jughead grinned broadly as the fresh memories of Kevin’s hilarious antics from the night before flashed through his mind. He also remembered how much Betty had laughed and how she would clutch onto his arm every time she did. 

“I told you those tequila shots were a bad idea.” he teased. 

“Yeah, yeah...” Kevin muttered dismissively making Jughead laugh again at his expense. 

“So why are you calling me so early anyway?” 

He heard Kevin sigh on the other end and could almost picture him gingerly rubbing his aching temples. 

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Kevin mumbled, “I was actually calling you up to ask for a favour.” 

“A favour?” Jughead repeated. He pulled back the covers and slipped out of bed. 

“Yeah, there’s a club meeting tonight which I obviously can’t attend or set up for because of my current ... condition.” 

Jughead chuckled at the word, knowing that it wasn’t an exaggeration. He had experienced post-drunk Kevin enough times to know that ‘condition’ was putting it lightly.

“So you want me to set up for tonight?” Jughead guessed. 

“Well, technically you’ll be helping Moose set up,” Kevin said, “If it’s not too much trouble?”

Jughead tugged on his beanie and snorted at the question, almost as if he were offended - which of course he wasn’t.

“It’s no problem man,” he said reassuringly.

“Alright ... Thanks Jug,” Kevin sighed, clearly relieved and clearly exhausted, “I owe you one.”

“After everything you’ve done for me, you don’t owe me anything!” Jughead said firmly. He meant it - every word, because if it wasn’t for Kevin he’d probably be in a gutter right now or worse. 

After going over a few details, saying goodbye and hanging up, Jughead rubbed the frown on his forehead. He had completely forgotten about the literature club meeting thing Kevin hosted here every Saturday. Last week, he had conveniently spent the evening writing, reading and people watching at a 24 hour diner in Manhattan, which he would most likely end up doing again tonight. 

Moose arrived ten minutes later and once again, Jughead was glad to see him. He liked Moose for a number of reasons one being that, despite having the look of a typical former high school jock - he really was anything but that. An all around nice guy who happened to make one of his best friends insanely happy - it was incredibly easy to like Moose Mason. 

There wasn’t much to say while they cleared up and prepared a space for he meeting in one of The Paperback’s large, but still cosy corners. They mostly spoke about Kevin and the various times his over zealous yet endearing nature and behavior had made them both laugh. It was only after they had finished setting up the chairs that Moose finally broached a new topic, one that somehow strayed into uncharted territory. 

“So, think you’ll come tonight?” Moose asked as he straightened the chairs into a neat line. 

“What? To the meeting?” Jughead said, failing to hide his amusement or his surprise. 

By all accounts, a meeting where people discuss the various elements and forms of literature should be right up his alley, especially since literature was his choice of degree at college, but Jughead had discovered quite quickly that most people didn’t necessarily share his ... prowess in this particular subject matter. 

The countless hours that he had spent picking apart the hidden details of various stories while also trying to write his own, had made his life bearable and had been his only form of ‘escape’ and during The Serpent Years. 

As pretentious as it sounds at first, it had nothing to do with arrogance. He simply had a deep appreciation for books, one that he had yet to find in someone else. 

“Yes to the meeting, I thought you were some kind of big literature buff.” 

“Well, I am,” Jughead admitted, “I’m just not into ... clubs.” And he really wasn’t, having avoided them like the plague during his high school and college days. 

“You know it’s not really a club right?” Moose pointed out. 

“Club, organization, society ... whatever you want to call it, it’s not really my scene.” Jughead said. He shuddered then at the mere thought of being stuck in a room filled with strangers. Yeah, that definitely wasn’t his scene. 

“It’s funny, you sound just like Betty did in the beginning” Moose chuckled and Jughead, who had started heading back to the storeroom to retrieve the table, turned his attention back to Moose, his interest piqued at the very mention of her name. 

“Oh yeah, how so?” he asked, his eyebrow raised in question. What else could this outlandish connection with her possibly offer? 

“Well according to Kevin, she also had thing about it being a club until she actually gave it a shot. Now she comes to every meeting.” 

Jughead pursed his lips as Moose’s words caused a new dilemma to take shape inside him, because the thought of seeing Betty again -especially after last night suddenly made it very difficult for him to think of an excuse not to go. 

“Huh ... interesting.” Jughead mumbled, his brow furrowing slightly. 

“I’m sure it is ..” Moose quipped as he sauntered past his friend, heading for the storeroom. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jughead laughed, his already present frown deepening. 

“Oh come on Jug, you’d have to be as blind as a bat not to see that something is clearly going on between you and Betty or that something should be at least!”

Moose stopped short of the storerooms threshold and when he turned around, his lips had pulled into a knowing smile, the kind that made Jughead feel sheepish and swallow a little nervously. Moose seemed to notice and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

“My advice; don’t sit on this Jug, don’t even sleep on it ... I’ve seen the way the you look at her and more importantly I’ve seen the way she looks at you, so just do it ... You know what they say; you can’t get anywhere in life without taking risks.” 

Jughead stood frozen to the spot, overwhelmed by Moose’s words and the sudden realization that shot into his mind. It was obvious now, what he needed to do. He just had to find the courage to do it. 

“Wait, did you just quote Esme Bianco?” Jughead asked, his lips pulling into a smirk at the sudden realization. 

Moose simply shrugged in response, the corners of his lips tugging upwards ever so slightly as he turned back to his task of fetching the table. 

Perhaps it was the blunt and honest way Moose had said it or maybe it was the slightly serious look that had seeped into his eyes when he did, but all of a sudden Jughead had absolutely no intention of missing that meeting tonight. 

~~~

The Literary Heroes Book Club. 

When Kevin had first mentioned it to Betty two years ago, she had been skeptical towards the idea of attending weekly meetings dedicated to lengthy discussions about books (I mean, she loved to read, but not enough to debate about it for hours on end with total strangers), but of course, Kevin’s constant begging and promises that it would be ‘nothing like that’ eventually convinced her to ‘give it a try.’ 

After just one meeting she was hooked - mostly because (as Kevin had assured her) it was nothing like she expected at all. Yes, it was a large group of people gathering in a place to talk about books, except instead of focusing on one particular book or author, people could discuss any form or element of literature they wanted. 

They even played a fun game where several person would stand up to read different quotes leaving everyone else to guess what book they came from. That had been her favourite part of the evening by far and tonight it would be no different. 

As Betty weaved her way through the sea of people already gathered in The Paperback, she sighed when her thoughts inevitably strayed to Jughead Jones. 

After last night, she knew that there was no point in denying the obvious pull between them anymore. Within two weeks, she had given into the influence of their unexplained connection and kissed him (well almost kissed him) and no matter how hard she tried at first, she couldn’t stop thinking about it, and quite frankly, she didn’t want to now. 

As with most of the rash decisions Betty had made in her life she denied it at first, blaming her behavior on an impulse created by the alcohol or the impromptu bike ride. But the more she thought about it, wrapped up in the warmth and comfort of her bed - the clock slowly ticking towards one in the morning, the more she realised that none of that was true. She wanted to kiss Jughead Jones, and if she was being entirely honest with herself, she had been wanting to kiss him for a while now. 

It was all she could think about as the day progressed much to Veronica’s delight, who had tried in vain to get all the details by peppering her with questions which Betty had valiantly fended off. He was a permanent thought now, always present in the back of her mind. 

After greeting a few of the members she actually knew and feeling slightly disappointed that none of them were him - the one person she desperately wanted to see and talk to - Betty managed to claim her usual spot near the back, along the bookshelves while other people filled the empty seats and spaces, all of them eager to play this meetings round of “Guess That Quote ...”. 

Betty watched the game for awhile but didn’t participate, her mind now somewhere else entirely. She fumbled with the piece of paper in her pocket trying to work up the courage to step forward and take her turn. She had a quote, a really good one that she had been dying to share for the last few months and now all she needed was the nerve to actually do it. 

“You can do this,” she thought, “I mean come on Betty, you have -“ But her internal monologue was suddenly interrupted when she felt someone gently grab her shoulder. 

Recognizing the warmth and feel of the hand, Betty didn’t have to turn around to know who was standing beside her. But she did anyway, her breath catching in her throat when her eyes fell on the familiar face of Jughead Jones - striking blue eyes, crooked smile, crown shaped beanie and all. 

Betty wasn’t sure what happened next (her mind still reeling from the shock of seeing him when she hadn’t expected to), but suddenly she was standing in front of everyone, ready to read her chosen quote to them. She glanced at Jughead, who was now leaning against the bookshelf, and tried to still her frantically beating heart when he flashed her an encouraging smile, urging her on. 

She sighed and after taking a long, deep breath she started to read. 

“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.” Betty paused then, her eyes automatically drifting to Jughead who was staring at her in absolute awe, his mouth slightly agape. Just seeing that was enough to spur her on. “Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.”

As soon as she finished speaking the room fell into a hush of quiet whispering as everyone tried to guess what book the quote came from. Betty scanned over the crowd feeling a little smug that no one seemed to know the answer - most of the time someone would guess it almost immediately. 

She eventually spotted a girl near the front who looked as though she had figured it out, but before she or anyone else could say anything someone beat them all to the punch. 

“Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières.” Jughead said, causing everyone to turn around and look at him. 

Betty looked at him as well, her green eyes shining with a childlike euphoria, and the breathtaking smile that stretched across her face told everyone that his answer was right. Jughead returned the intensity of her smile and a second later, the sound of applause filled the air, like it always did whenever someone answered correctly. 

Betty kept her eyes fixed on Jughead as she stepped down and moved towards him, knowing that she wouldn’t be stunned or nervous when she reached him again - not anymore. 

When the game eventually ended, everyone broke up into smaller groups for the mandatory ‘Discussion’ part of the evening. 

After both of them grabbed a cup of coffee and a doughnut, Betty followed Jughead towards an empty leather couch in a relatively quiet part of the store. They hadn’t said much to each other during the rest of the quote guessing game - both of them too busy laughing and participating with everyone else to get a word in edgewise - but now they were finally alone. 

“I have to say, I’m still a little shocked to see you here,” Betty admitted as they sat down together, “I didn’t think you even knew about this club.” 

“Well, Kevin mentioned it a few times before and earlier today when I was helping Moose set up for it, I decided to give it a shot.” he paused then to sip his coffee, “Truthfully, I’m not really into clubs.” 

She smiled warmly, relishing in the fact that they had another thing in common. 

“I’m not either,” she confessed, “But this isn’t -“ 

“-really a club.” Jughead finished for her, “I’m beginning to see that now.” 

They both laughed and for a moment Betty felt completely at ease. She had been really nervous about seeing Jughead again, especially after last night, but any doubts or fears she had felt beforehand were basically gone now. 

“So, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin ...” she paused when she saw Jughead smirk behind another sip of coffee, “How on Earth did you know that Jug?” 

He shrugged. 

“It’s a classic, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Betty agreed, “One that a lot of people here didn’t know about apparently.” 

“Apparently,” Jughead chuckled in agreement, “I don’t think she’s to happy with me though, he added, nudging his head towards the girl whose thunder he had stolen earlier. Betty giggled as well. 

“No, I don’t think she is. You certainly know how to make an entrance.” she joked playfully, noticing how people kept glancing and staring at them now. 

Jughead simply shrugged and bit into his doughnut. He eyed her curiously while he chewed, toying with what to say next while she gave her coffee another stir and sipped the hot beverage carefully. 

“So, do you really believe all of that?” he asked, once he had swallowed. 

“Believe all of what?” 

“What you read earlier, do you really believe that love is like that?” he asked. 

Betty sighed heavily and picked absentmindedly at her own doughnut, trying to think of what to say. In truth, she never felt comfortable sharing her inner thoughts and opinions with anyone, having encountered her fair share of difficult and pigheaded people. But this was Jughead, surely it would be different right? She decided to find out. 

“I do, or at least I do now anyway. When I was young, I used to have a very generalized view on ‘Love’. You know, find the perfect guy, get married, have the perfect kids and live happily ever after. Now I understand that there is so much more to love than all of that and all the things we see on tv or hear about in songs.” 

“So what is it then?” Jughead asked, tilting his head to the side curiously. 

“Well ... I believe that love creates the initial connection, but that our input in whatever comes thereafter keeps it alive.” she answered, her eyes dropping slightly to the ground. 

Betty waited for Jughead to say something and when he didn’t, she slowly brought her eyes back up to his only to see that he was smiling and staring at her, completely astounded for the second time that evening. The sight of him looking positively dumbstruck calmed her instantly. 

“I take it you agree?” Betty said, smiling shyly at his reaction. 

“I do,” Jughead said, sounding genuinely impressed, “I mean, I’ve never really been in love before and my own experience with it hasn’t been that great, but I would imagine that’s how it should feel ...” he said, trailing off when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. Betty watched him run his fingers along the rim of his coffee cup and frowned slightly when she noticed the somber look that started to taint his boyish features. 

Clearly something was bothering him and being the person she is, she offered Jughead a warm smile and tentatively touched his arm, silently letting him know that she was here if he ever wanted to talk about it one day.

“Thanks Betty, I appreciate it” he said softly, understanding the meaning behind her gesture and smiling at it in return. 

He shifted his eyes to look at her properly and that’s when she saw it again, the same look in his stormy blue eyes that made her kiss him last night and suddenly she wanted to do it again. But she wouldn’t. Not until they spoke about what happened and what it really meant to her and more importantly, to him. 

They spent the rest of the hour joking around and talking about silly things that didn’t really matter and by the time the meeting was close to being over, Betty was having a hard time controlling herself, so much so that when Jughead offered to walk her out she was starting to reconsider what she had thought earlier. 

“Well, I actually had a lot of fun tonight.” Jughead said happily, as they stepped out onto the sidewalk together. 

“So did I,” Betty agreed, still desperately trying to suppress the mad urge to grab his face and kiss the living daylights out of him, “We should definitely do it again next weekend, that’s ... that’s if you want to of course.” 

Jughead grinned at her broadly and she could’ve sworn she felt his hand brush lightly against hers. 

“Spending the evening talking about literature or talking in general with someone like you? I don’t think I could pass on that even if I wanted to.” he admitted with a small smile, his blue eyes warm and filled with mild intent. 

Betty smiled as well, his compliment warming the very cockles of her heart. She turned her head away, trying to hide her obvious blush, and as she stepped towards the curb to hail a cab, Jughead suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him, engulfing her in an unexpected, but heartfelt hug. 

It took her a few seconds, but she eventually reciprocated, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso and burying herself deep into his chest. He smelt amazing. His cologne an intoxicating combination of bergamot, wood and spice. They stayed like that for a long, almost endless moment, drenched and soaked in each other’s warmth, until Jughead slowly pulled back to look at her. 

She expected him to let her go, to step away and offer to hail a cab for her. What she didn’t expect was the shaky hand he brought up to her face or the gentle way he slowly caressed her cheek. 

Betty held her breath while his blue eyes searched her green ones, trying to read her, trying to communicate something to her. 

“Juggie ...” she whispered his new nickname softly, inching closer to him until he moved as well, capturing her lips with his. 

In that moment, Betty forgot how to breathe and time in it’s entirety, stopped altogether as well


	5. Status and Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy and emotionally charged Bughead. Enjoy!! Xx

He kissed her deeply, his tongue sliding into her mouth as he tightened his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him in the dark alley. She held on to the rough material of his denim jacket and hummed with approval when his mouth left hers to kiss the exposed skin on her neck, feeling thoroughly overwhelmed with every delicious second that passed. 

“Betts ...” he murmured against her throat, his breath scorching hot as he kissed and sucked relentlessly at her soft skin. She tilted her head back slightly at the sound of the nickname falling from his lips and gasped when she felt his teeth sink into her neck, effortlessly marking her before soothing it with his warm tongue. 

“Betty ...” 

She moved her hands to his face then, bringing his lips back up to hers so that they could kiss with pure intention, sighing into his mouth when her fingers slid into his thick hair and their tongues met once again. 

“Betty!” 

Suddenly there was a noticeable shove and she fell, losing her grip on him in the process. She fumbled for a moment, her eyes trying to see in the darkness, until someone yelled her name again and something clutched onto her, desperately shaking her. 

Betty’s eyes shot open. 

She gasped and sat up immediately, her heart racing uncontrollably in her chest. She looked around, trying to figure out what or who had woken her up until she noticed Veronica, perched on the edge of her bed with her hand still resting on Betty’s heaving shoulder. 

“Easy B,” Veronica muttered, taking in her friends breathless demeanor, “Are you alright?” 

Betty didn’t say anything, her mind still reeling from her vivid dream about Jughead. Slowly she brought her fingers up to her lips as flashes of it returned to her and she smiled slightly when she realised that it wasn’t a dream at all, but a memory. A very recent memory. One that made her feel incredibly warm.

“Betty?” Veronica said again, this time capturing her distracted friends attention. 

“I’m sorry what?” 

“Are you alright?” Veronica repeated the question, her voice etched with concern this time. 

Betty nodded slowly. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry V, I just had a ... an intense dream that’s all” she said, thankful that her room was still dark enough to hide her blush covered cheeks. 

“Intense? What, did you have a nightmare?” Veronica probed. 

Betty shook her head, resisting the urge to smile like a total goofball again. 

“No ... it wasn’t a nightmare, just a dream.” she said nonchalantly, pulling back the covers and slipping out of bed.

“Must’ve been one hell of a dream.” Veronica stated, “You’re usually such a light sleeper.”

Betty smiled to herself, feeling her friends curious eyes watch her as she pulled back the curtains, allowing the soft morning light to spill into her room. 

Truthfully, Betty was more than just a little fine, in fact, she was very close to bursting with pure, uninterrupted happiness, because last night was real. The kiss was real. Everything that had happened was real and Jughead Jones was undeniably real. 

The first kiss had set them off - uncapping the desire that they had both bottling up since the day they met - and after kissing for what felt like endless minutes, the hooter of a car blared nearby, scaring them both into pulling apart. 

They had both laughed and after giving her a lift home on the back of his motorbike (which she had loved even more the second time round), Betty, unable to help herself, had pulled him close and kissed him again. It was soft and a little more restrained, but no less passionate then their tryst in the alley earlier. 

By the time she reached the door of her apartment, Betty was convinced that she had imagined the whole thing and had pinch herself a couple of times just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. 

Clearly she wasn’t. 

Prompted by the thought of him and the thought of last night, Betty smiled and skimmed her fingers over the skin on her neck. Over the mark he’d left behind. Remembering the sting and how much she liked it. 

“What’s that?” Veronica asked, snapping her back to reality. Betty dropped her hand immediately. 

“It’s noth-“ But Veronica was already in front of Betty, her eyes fixed on her friends neck, instantly spotting the love bite. 

“B, is that a ....” she trailed off, her eyes widening with exhilaration. 

Betty didn’t say anything, but the furious blush that spread across her cheeks was all the response her best friend needed. 

“Oh my god, it is!” Veronica squealed, a huge smile spreading across her face. 

“V, please ...” 

“But wait, I thought you had your book club meeting last night?” 

“I did, but Ron -“ 

“- and Jughead was there, wasn’t he!” Veronica squeaked loudly, “Oh my god-“ 

Betty quickly clamped her hand over Veronica’s mouth, silencing her before she woke up the entire city. 

“V, please calm down!” she whispered pleadingly, glancing over her shoulder at her open bedroom door. 

It had been less then 24 hours since The Kiss actually happened and the last thing Betty wanted to do, despite the way she felt, was assume that anything was set in stone. It was obvious that she and Jughead needed to talk and they would talk about everything at work tomorrow, but until it was officially confirmed she would continue to deem things between them as ‘undecided’. 

Veronica pulled Betty’s hand away, her smile still firmly in place. 

“Okay I’m sorry B, but it’s been what, a year since you and Trev broke up and I’m just so thrilled for you!” she whispered happily, “You must bring Jughead to my up and coming party!” 

“I don’t know V,” Betty mumbled, her self doubt prickling it’s way to the surface (Like it always did in moments like this), “I’m still trying to figure what Jughead and I will be after all of this. I mean don’t get me wrong, what happened last night was amazing but - .” 

“- but nothing B!” Veronica interrupted firmly, “Look, I get why you’re feeling hesitant, but the least you can do is enjoy the fact that a really cute guy was all over you last night,” when Betty sighed Veronica took her hands and sat down with her on the bed, “B, I’m not an idiot and you aren’t either. You obviously like Jughead and he obviously likes you, so until your have a reason to, don’t just assume the worst, okay?.” 

Betty kept her eyes fixed on the floor, completely aware that Veronica was right. Despite her minor insecurities, she really had enjoyed last night. The way he pulled her into the alley alongside The Paperback. The way they had completely lost themselves in each other for a moment - their connection coming full circle now. 

She felt conflicted, because while she had loved every single amorous second of it, feeling so strongly about someone after such a short period of time also scared the hell out of her. 

“But I barely know anything him.” Betty argued weakly, knowing that Veronica would undoubtedly have a response to that as well. 

“So? you’ll get to know him ... You just have to open yourself up to it, whatever it turns out to be.” 

When Veronica flashed one of her signature ‘you know I’m right’ smiles, Betty sighed and relented to her friends words, knowing that there was some truth behind them. 

She was just about to open her mouth and agree with her friend when Archie suddenly appeared in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, clearly still half asleep. 

“Why the hell are you guys up so early? It’s a Sunday.” he yawned around the words, his fingers running through his already tousled red hair. 

Veronica winked at Betty which was basically code for ‘We’ll finish this talk later’ and stood up with a sigh to tend to her boyfriend. 

Betty watched her two best friends as they melted into each other’s embrace, both of them giggling at something only spoken between the two of them. Then she thought about Kevin and Moose and how comfortable and happy they always were. How they could effortlessly read each other after only two months of being together, despite the difficulties they had faced. 

She fell back onto her bed and sighed when she heard Archie and Veronica’s sickly sweet, mushy banter drifting down the hallway as they made their way back to their room - wondering if there was a remote possibility she could ever have something like that with Jughead Jones. 

~~~

When Betty arrived at work the next morning, she found Jughead perched on the edge of the counter reading a worn out copy of The Catcher in The Rye. She stopped just a few steps into the store and smiled, her whole body radiating with warmth at the sight of him. She loved the serious look he always had on his face whenever his nose was buried in a book.

She had spent most of her Sunday thinking about their kiss (or kisses) and what it would be like to see him again in the fresh light of a new day. Her conversation with Veronica, although brief, had eventually eased her fragile thoughts and helped to coax a little confidence out of her. She had no idea what to expect though and oddly enough, that only made her more eager to get to work and find out. 

“It’s rude to stare you know.” Jughead said, dropping his book slightly to look at her, his smile reflected in his blue eyes. Betty smiled as well and held out his cup of coffee like she did every morning. 

Wearing a smirk, he hopped down from the counter and surprised Betty when he took both cups from her, setting them down on on the wooden surface. 

“Juggie, what are you -“ but the rest of her sentence disintegrated in her throat when he grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a warm and almost desperate hug - as if the one day they’d spent apart was one day to many. 

“Morning co worker.” he breathed against her ear. 

“Hi.” she whispered back, glancing up at him shyly when he pulled back slightly. 

“Did you have a good weekend?” he asked, slipping his arms loosely around her waist. 

“I did,” she said, her hands resting on his defined chest, “How about you?” 

“Oh yes ...” he grinned, “I had one or two memorable moments” he winked at her and moved his hand up to her neck, his fingertips tracing over the faintly bruised skin. 

Betty felt the heat rush to her cheeks and collapsed into his chest again, sliding her arms around his torso in another hug. She felt his arms tighten around her a little more and smiled, nuzzling herself deeper - content to just stay like that forever and avoid her doubts about silly things. I mean, who cares about relationship statuses, anyway? 

Oh right, she does. She sighed internally. 

“Juggie?” Betty said after a while. 

“Hmmm?”

She released a shaky breath, suddenly feeling a little nervous at the prospect of bringing this up, but they needed to talk at some point and she supposed now was the best time to do it. 

“What are we doing?” she asked quietly. 

“Hugging ...” he said, smiling playfully against her hair. 

“Well, obviously.” Betty giggled, “But what I meant was; what are we doing? The two of us?” she looked up at him and her heart twisted a little when she saw a flashed of panic in his eyes. She backtracked quickly. “It’s not that I regret what happened between us on Saturday but - it’s just seems ... I don’t know, after two weeks it just seems ...” 

“A little fast?” Jughead offered. She snapped her eyes back up to him and was beyond relieved when she saw the comprehension in his own. She nodded. 

“Well, maybe it is a little fast, but it also felt incredibly right to me” he said, his tone genuine and honest.

“I know Juggie, I felt like that as well .. but what happened was just so unexpected -“ 

“- Was it really though?” he interrupted her gently, “Betts, I think we can both agree that there has been something floating between us since the day we first met.” 

“Well yes -“

“- So what is this really about then?” he asked calmly.

Betty sighed and looked at him. He was right, their connection had been there - ever present since the day they first saw each other and, to be honest, it scared her - how quickly it managed to take over and influenced her. It was a silly fear, but it was a fear nonetheless, one that she couldn’t forget or ignore. But looking at him now and seeing the mild distress flicker in his eyes while he waited for her answer, made Betty realise that every second that had passed between them had essentially led them to this exact moment and would continue to. There was no denying it - not anymore. 

“I guess I’m just a little scared,” she confessed quietly, dropping her eyes to the ground. He sighed and gently brought his hands up to her face, forcing her to look at him, to see her worry reflected in his eyes, mixed with his understanding. 

“I’m scared to, believe me I’m fucking terrified, but I can’t imagine going back to the way things were before this and ... and to be honest, I don’t really want to.”

Betty sighed as well and brought one of her hands up to his wrists, clutching onto to it tightly. 

“I don’t either.” she admitted softly, his confession of being just as scared as her, making it easier for her to make up her own mind. 

With his thumb stroking over her silky cheek, Jughead smiled at her warmly and then he kissed her - his mouth soft and warm and budding against hers - and she wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into him the second their lips made contact. 

“We’ll just take it slow and see where it goes, alright?” he said once they had slowly pulled apart, “There’s no rush. We don’t even have to tell anyone yet if you don’t want to.” 

“Is that what you want?” Betty asked, her one eyebrow raised in question. 

Jughead shrugged. 

“I wouldn’t mind either way, but it would be nice to keep this to ourselves for a while. Just the two of us.” 

Betty nodded and smiled up at him crookedly.

“Just the two of us for two weeks.” she said coyly. 

“Two weeks? What’s happening in two weeks?” Jughead asked, grinning broadly as he dropped his arms back down to her waist, pulling her closer.

“My friend is having a party which I’m now officially inviting you to or would that count as ‘rushing’?”

“No, I don’t think it would,” he chuckled, his lips ghosting over hers, making her already fluttering heart go into overdrive, “Now that we’re together anyway.” and Betty smiled before he settled his lips ardently over hers again. 

Together. She liked the sound of that. 

~~~

Jughead Jones was in a haze. An ethereal haze that was purely Betty Cooper. 

In the days that followed, they spent almost every second they could spare together - their moments slow, authentic and uninterrupted. There was no rush to get somewhere and there was definitely no pressure to be anything but themselves. He had never felt so free or real in his entire life. 

They kissed a lot (whenever they got the chance) and they spoke a lot as well. Mostly about themselves and about the bits and pieces of their lives before they met each other - every lingering touch, story or spoken word bringing them closer together. 

Most of the stories they shared were fun and embarrassing, the kind that came from their awkward pre-teen and teenager years - that was of course until Friday afternoon arrived and Betty Cooper decided to truly open herself up to him.

 

It had been a slow, lazy day in terms of business which left Betty and Jughead with very little to do except talk and repack shelves like Kevin suggested. But after about five minutes of pretending to work, they quickly gave up on that task in favour of something much better and more intimate. 

Instead they found themselves sitting on the floor, Jughead leaning against said bookshelf with Betty curled up in his lap and stacks of books surrounding them. He had just finished telling her about how he had broken his nose while trying to learn how to ice skate for the first time, when he noticed a delay in her reaction. He looked her over then and realised that something definitely seemed a little off with her. 

“Hey, are you alright?” he asked, softly stroking his hand over her back. 

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Betty sighed, tucking herself deeper into the crook of Jughead’s neck.

“Just okay?” he pressed gently, not wanting to pry too much, “I’m only asking because you’ve been a little quiet since that phone call you received during lunch.” he pointed out. 

“Yeah, I know I’m sorry about that,” Betty mumbled, wiping a stray tear before it fell from her eye when she pulled away from him slightly, “Talking to my mom usually does that to me.” 

Jughead frowned slightly. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked. 

Betty kept her eyes fixed on him, her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip with uncertainty. He sensed her apprehension and smiled at her softly. 

“Its okay if you don’t want to Betts, I understand and I’ll be ready to talk about it whenever you are.” 

Jughead knew from his own past experiences that it wasn’t easy to talk about personal things like this. He would never force or expect anything from her, not unless she wanted to give it. 

Betty fiddled absentmindedly with his flannel and was quiet for a while, but he waited patiently while she silently debated whether or not to tell him and then, to his immense surprise, she did. 

Jughead listened sympathetically when Betty suddenly opened up and told him all about her mother and the tremendous amount of pressure she had been placed under for most of her life to be the most ‘perfect’ version of herself. 

It was horrifying to hear - every word sank in sharply, making his stomach knot and twist with a mixture of anger and sadness - but that was nothing compared to what she showed him next, because in a moment of pure vulnerability, Betty held out her clenched hands and showed him the consequences of the havoc it had wreaked on her life. 

He could tell that the act itself was a big deal for her simply by the look of dreaded anxiety she displayed when she finally revealed the lines of moon shaped scars that littered her palms. 

Some of them were fresh, while others had healed a while ago - regardless Jughead felt a lump rise in his throat, (one which he tried in vain to swallow) at the sight and his heart twisted painfully when he thought of her doing this to herself with nobody around to help her. 

He could feel her watching him with her puffy, tear stained eyes, waiting for him to say something, but he didn’t - it wasn’t his place to comment on something he could never truly understand anyway. 

So instead he gently took her hands in his and kissed every blemish - both old and new - trying to sooth the underlying pain behind them with the touch of his lips and a gentle rubs of his thumb. 

“Have you told anyone else about this?” he asked her after a while.

“Just Veronica, but that’s only because she saw them by mistake.” Betty explained. She glanced at Jughead, fresh tears forming in her eyes, “Do you think there’s somethings wrong with me, Jug?” she asked brokenly. 

“What? No Betty, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you!” he said firmly, horrified by the idea that anyone would even think that, “I can’t say the same about your mother though ...” 

“But it’s my fault as well and now I’ve been lying to her for the last two years about my career and ... and I don’t know what I’m going to do. I honestly don’t ...” 

The tears were falling now and the sight broke Jughead’s heart.

“Hey, hey ... listen to me, none of this is your fault,” he said, wiping them away with the fabric of his flannel, “I don’t blame you for what you did Betty, in fact I’m proud of you for being so brave, for standing up and doing something for yourself! And as for your mother we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it and only then, alright?” 

Betty nodded slowly, her tear filled eyes growing wide with unspoken gratitude, before she crumpled against him again and he cocooned her in his arms, comforting her for as long as she needed it. 

It should’ve been a conversation - a moment that further solidified things between them. A moment that showed progression in a relationship as new as theirs, and while it did signify this - it also made Jughead feel incredibly guilty, because, despite the newness of their relationship, Betty had trusted him enough to talk about something so personal, so difficult and so heart wrenching and yet he continued to hold onto the secrets of his past. 

Of course he had confided in her about personal things as well. He did tell her about his mother leaving when he was just fifteen and how his father had suffered from alcoholism and ended up in jail a mere two years later - leaving himself and his little sister, Jellybean, at the mercy of the cities child care services. And much like this moment between them now, she had cried with him and comforted him, making promises that she would undoubtedly keep. 

But everything he had told her was only skimming off the surface of a wide, expansive ocean, because she still didn’t know that he had joined his fathers gang when he was just sixteen or that he had been a monster of a foster child who ended up running way and had to rely on the rare ‘kindness’ of Serpents just to survive or that he had been beaten within an inch of his life after daring to chose to a different one. 

Sure he had a valid reason for not telling her the whole truth, but that didn’t stop the annoying needle of guilt from pinching and poking his heart every time she looked at him now.

Once all the tears had dried up and a smile found its way onto her face again, he took her home on the back of his motorbike where she gave him a deep kiss filled with so much appreciation and passion that it made his heart stutter and burst with something he’d never truly felt before. 

Afterwards, Jughead watched with his heart still in awe as Betty ascend the steps to the entrance of her building and he knew based off that one unexplained feeling that he needed to tell her - that he had to tell her everything. 

She had been brave enough to show him her scars, now he needed to do the same. He couldn’t ignore it - not if he wanted to keep her as close to his heart as he wanted too.


	6. Surprises and Pillow Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bughead moments- that’s all I’m going to say :)

For as long as she could remember, Betty had never really disliked any of the four seasons. In fact she could always find something to like about each one. 

Whether it was; the fresh, rainy days of Spring or the hot, vivid days of Summer. The calm and colourful days of Autumn or the slow, frozen days of Winter - There was always an aspect of each season worth enjoying. 

What Betty didn’t like was the actual transition between the seasons or more specifically - she didn’t like the shift from Autumn to Winter which always seem to bring her annual bought of flu along with it. 

Which is why when she woke up on Monday morning with the beginnings of a dry, sore throat, blocked nose and a dull throbbing in her head, she knew for certain that it was that time of the year again. 

Betty groaned and then she sighed, knowing full well that going into work would be futile exercise today. By this afternoon she would be a coughing, spluttering, tissue blowing mess that would need to hibernate away from the public eye for a few days. She reached for her phone and slowly typed out a message to Jughead. 

B: Hey Juggie, I’m feeling really terrible this morning so I don’t think I’ll be coming in today. :( 

Betty stared at the text - her heart clenching as she read each word. God, she would miss being around him especially after their recent conversation on Friday. She still couldn’t believe that he had just accepted her and all her flaws without being judge mental or pretending to understand something so uniquely personal to her. 

Truthfully, she had been afraid to show him her scars at first, but then she realised that if they were going to be together then he needed to know about them - he needed to know everything. 

Her phone buzzed then pulling her away from her thoughts. 

J: Aww no Betts ... What’s wrong? :( 

B: It’s just a touch of flu - nothing serious.

J: I hope Archie and Veronica are waiting on you hand and foot ... 

Betty moaned and gritted her teeth when she suddenly remembered that her friends were currently on a flight to Chicago on their way to visit Archie’s mother. 

B: Well Archie and Veronica are in Chicago actually ...

J: So you’re alone?

B: I am, but I’ll be alright Juggie. 

J: Are you sure? Do you want me to swing by after work and check on you? 

Betty smiled warmly at his concern and at the possibility of seeing him after being cooped up in an apartment all day ... until she remembered that she would be a flu ridden zombie by this afternoon. 

No, she definitely couldn’t let him see that - no matter how badly she wanted to see him. 

B: Thanks Juggie, but I’ll be alright ... If I need anything you’ll be my first call Xx 

J: Promise? 

B: Lol, yes I promise ... 

Betty sighed and put her phone down for a moment while she went to the bathroom to take an aspirin, hoping to ease the already numbing pain in her head. She briefly glanced at herself in the mirror and groaned when she saw that she already looked terrible. By the time she got back to her room Jughead had sent her two messages. 

J: You know work is going to completely suck without you, right? 

J: And this whole ‘No morning coffee’ thing is really killing me! 

Betty chuckled. She missed him already and clearly he missed her as well. 

B: I’m sorry Juggie ... I promise I’ll make it up to you Xx 

J: Oh you definitely will ... ;) 

Betty blushed furiously and was just about to type back a reply when his next message came through. 

J: Anyway, you should probably get some rest Betts - I’ll check in on you soon, okay? 

Betty smiled as she slipped under her duvet again, her eyes already starting to close.

B: I’m counting on it Jug ... 

 

Betty slept most of the morning away and only woke up again at around noon. Her headache had subsided a little, but she could tell that the flu had settled in now which meant that it wasn’t going away anytime soon. 

Feeling the sudden need to be remotely active, Betty shuffled through to the kitchen where she made herself a slice of toast and took another aspirin. Afterwards, she fetched the comforter from her room and settled down on the couch to watch something on Netflix, hoping to pass long and lonely time. 

Jughead messaged her throughout the day, mostly just to find out how she was feeling or to ask if she needed anything and on occasion he would also remind her how “amazing” work was without her there. Those ones always made her smile, no matter how queasy she felt. 

By the time late afternoon arrived and after hours of being lazy and doing absolutely nothing, Betty was just about to nod off again when someone knocked on the door. 

Betty groaned into the couch cushion.  
Who on Earth would be visiting her right now? Reluctantly, she slowly pushed herself off the couch to find out. 

“Alright, alright ... I’m coming!” Betty said as loudly as her sore throat would allow.

When she opened the door she half expected to see a nosy neighbour or maybe some poor soul hoping to sell something to her ... what she didn’t expect to see was her boyfriend standing there with a wide, toothy smile on his face.

“Good afternoon beautiful,” he said happily. 

“Juggie?” Betty said, clearly astonished to see him, “Wha -what are you doing here?”

“Thought I’d check in on you and surprise you while I’m at it.” he said, dipping his head to give her a kiss on the lips. 

“Jug ...” Betty said, coughing around the words, “You’ll get sick if you do that.” 

“I’ll risk it,” he whispered, his blue eyes tinted with warmth as he leaned in to kiss her again. This time Betty sighed, relishing in the tender feel of his warm lips against hers. 

She couldn’t understand it. How could he be so decidedly unfazed by the sight of her like this? By everything and anything that made her feel incredibly self conscious right now?

“Mind if I come in?” he asked. Betty giggled softly and eyed the brown paper bag he was holding. 

“Depends on what you have in there.” she reached for it and he let her take it without a fight. It was heavy.  
With a curious smirk she dug around in the bag and pulled out the first thing she could get her hands on - a small bouquet of fresh white lilies. 

“Aww Juggie they’re beautiful,” she said, admiring the delicate blooms with wide eyes. She held them up to her nose and sighed, “I wish I could smell them.” 

“Well, you can still see them,” Jughead pointed out with a wink, “I’m sure that counts for something.” 

Betty rolled her eyes a little and shook her head, motioning for him to come inside. He happily obliged, kicking off his shoes and shrugging off his denim jacket once he had closed the door behind him. 

Betty left the bag on the kitchen counter while she fetched a vase for the flowers. She glanced over her shoulder at Jughead and smiled when she saw him admiring the extravagant apartment. He looked just as stunned as she did when she saw it for the first time as well. 

“Nice place, hey” Betty said, as she carried the flowers through to lounge where she placed them on the windowsill. 

“It’s nice and ah ... big,” Jughead commented, “Not really something I’m used to.” 

“Yeah, me neither.” Betty shrugged. She turned around then and smiled when Jughead slowly started to approach her. 

“I missed you,” he admitted while he walked, “I know you told me not to worry, but work was absolutely tortuous without you and then I thought about you sitting here all alone and I just -“ 

“It’s okay Juggie,” Betty said, stepping towards him as well, “I missed you too and I’m glad you’re here now even though I look like a total train wreck.” 

“You don’t.” he promised. His voice was husky and genuine, making Betty blush and smile. 

“Well, you’re just biased because you like me.” 

“Okay, maybe I’m a little biased, but that doesn’t make it any less true,” Jughead smirked, pulling her in for an earnest hug as soon as they reached each other. 

Betty snuggled into his comfortable chest and smiled when she felt him kiss the top of her head gently. She really had missed him today and even though his little visit was unexpected, it was also a welcoming surprise - because not being around him all day had been torturous for her as well. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, rubbing his hand over her back soothingly. 

“Like death warmed up,” Betty sighed, “My head hurts, my throat hurts and my nose is blocked ... everything hurts.” she finished with a sob. 

“Have you eaten anything today?” Jughead asked, pulling back slightly to look her over.

“Not much, but I’m really not that hungry.” 

“I know you’re not Betts, but you need to eat something,” Jughead explained calmly, his thumb wiping away the few stray tears on her cheek, “Why don’t you take a nice long bath while I warm up the chicken soup I brought for you?” 

Betty’s lips pulled into a soft smile and she eyed the brown bag with interest once again. 

“What else do you have in there?” she asked. 

“A makeshift flu pack with all the essentials, some chocolates and biscuits ...” he paused, eyeing the haphazard pile of tissues strewn around the couch, “I also brought some more tissues, just to be safe. Now go have a bath so I can start heating up that soup for you.” 

Betty rolled her eyes. “You really are going to make me eat, aren’t you?” 

“You bet I am.” Jughead teased, giving her a little nudge in the direction of the bathroom. 

 

Having a long bath actually turned out to be a fantastic idea and Betty had to admit that she felt more than a little better after soaking in the hot water for a while, but if she was being entirely honest with herself, she had already started to feel better the moment Jughead arrived. His very presence seemed to have that effect on her. 

After changing into a fresh pair of grey sweats and a sleeping vest and tying her dry hair up into a messy bun, Betty went back to the main area of the apartment and her jaw almost dropped when she noticed was how clean everything suddenly was. The piles of discarded tissues had been picked up, her mugs of unfinished lemon grass tea had been taken through to the kitchen and her comforter had been neatly folded up as well. 

Seriously? He can not be real she thought with a bright smile. 

She wandered into the kitchen next where she found Jughead buttering slice after slice of freshly popped toast. 

“Just how much are you planning on making me eat?” she asked, eyeing him and the large quantity of food suspiciously. 

“You’re just getting one slice with your soup.” he said, chuckling as he handed her a piece and took one for himself. 

They stared at each other intently for a moment, until Betty realised that Jughead was waiting for her to bite first so she rolled her eyes and did just that, making a point to chew and swallow obviously. He took a bite out of his own piece as well and smirked. 

“Thank you” he said, his eyes filled with laughter as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. 

They ate the rest of their food together on the couch where Betty managed to get through her toast and most of the soup which was more than enough to please Jughead. 

Afterwards, he gave her the nasal spray, another aspirin and some anti congestion tables from the flu pack before he lay down on the couch and motioned for her to join him. 

“You really will get sick of you keep this up you know.” she cautioned playfully as she settled down beside him with her leg draped over his. 

“Then I’ll get sick.” he said with a simple shrug, pulling her closer to him. She sighed happily and cuddled into his chest again, kissing the soft material of his ‘S’ t-shirt. 

They stayed like that for a while with Jughead stroking Betty’s arm, tracing patterns on her skin absentmindedly with his fingers. Both of them were engulfed and surrounded by the dim light of the early evening, her soft inconsistent coughing and the faint noises of the bustling city outside dampened by the apartments walls. 

It was peaceful and it was alleviating, but more importantly it was exactly what Betty needed. 

“Jug?” she said after a while. 

“Hmmm?” 

She smoothed her hand along his chest before gently brushing down and over the top of half of his well defined torso. She felt his hard muscles twitch under her touch and smiled. 

“Thank you for everything you did today, you didn’t have to do all of that.” she said softly. 

“You’re welcome and I know I didn’t have to do, but I did anyway,” he said, trailing his hand down her body to rest on the exposed skin on her hip, “And I’m really glad that I did.” 

Betty looked up at him and smiled broadly when she saw how content he looked staring down at her. She could see that he really meant what he had just said and that fact alone made her heart explode with pure happiness and ease.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” she asked, reaching over him to grab the remote on the coffee table. 

“Sounds good, what did you have in mind?” Jughead said, shifting slightly so that she was lying even closer to him. Betty didn’t say anything while she scrolled through the list of movies until she found the right one. 

“Dirty Dancing, seriously?” Jughead mock whined. Betty smirked. 

“It’s my favourite movie ... so deal with it.” she said, trying to ignore Jughead’s soft laughter as it rumbled through his chest and body. 

“You better not be laughing.” Betty warned, pinching his side playfully. Jughead flinched away from her teasing fingers and laughed out loud. 

“No .. I’m not - I’m not ... I promise!” he gasped breathlessly, taking the remote from her and pressing play. 

“I didn’t think so!” Betty giggled as the opening credits started and ‘Be my Baby by the Ronettes’ churned up and broke the silence. 

*The night we met I knew I needed you so  
And if I had the chance I'd never let you go  
So won't you say you love me,  
I'll make you so proud of me.  
We'll make 'em turn their heads every place we go  
So won't you, please, be my be my baby ...*

Betty hummed along to the song, a song she had loved since she was fourteen years old, and she smiled when she she heard Jughead doing it inconsistently as well. 

“You know the song at the end? The one that plays during Johnny and Baby’s last dance?” he whispered. 

“Jug, everyone knows that song.” she pointed out. He chuckled and slipped his hand under her shirt, his fingers lightly skimming over a small section of her stomach making a different kind of warmth trickle through her. 

“Well, Bill Medley, the guy who sang it with Jennifer Warnes, thought he was being hired to record a song for a really bad porno because of the movies name.” 

Betty gasped and sat up. 

“You’re joking.” she said, eyes wide with disbelief as she stared down at her very amused boyfriend. 

“I’m not - he even turned down the opportunity to record it at first until the music supervisor convinced him otherwise.” 

Betty’s jaw dropped and Jughead bit back another snigger. He reached for her then and gently pulled her back to him. 

“Can you even imagine that Betts?, An iconic song like that could’ve been performed by someone else!”

“I honestly don’t think I can.” Betty admitted, completely horrified by the thought. Jughead laughed softly and kissed her temple. 

They watched the movie for a while after that, fiddling with and holding each other’s hands the entire time. They had just reached the famous scene where Johnny and Baby are practicing ‘The Lift’ in the dam when Betty let a yawn slip out. 

“You tired?” Jughead asked quietly. Betty shook her head and snuggled deeper into his chest. 

“I bet you won’t make it to the end.” he teased. 

“I bet I will.” Betty said defiantly, trying in vain to suppress another yawn. Jughead chuckled lightly and continued to draw patterns on her skin. 

She was fast asleep ten minutes later. 

 

~~~

 

When Jughead woke up again it was early in the morning and he was lying in a bed that was definitely not his. 

He sighed and blinked a few times, trying to get his tired eyes to adjust to the soft morning light spilling into the room when Betty shifted in his arms, mumbling in her sleep as she nuzzled her back against his front even more, causing the recent memories from the night before to pierce and flood into his mind. 

After Betty had fallen asleep on top of him on the couch, Jughead had carefully and respectfully carried her through to her room with every intention of leaving her there to sleep while he crashed on the couch. However, after tucking her in and giving her one last, lingering kiss on the forehead, his plan was shattered into a million pieces and swept under the rug when she grabbed his hand and begged him to stay with her. 

And of course, he had been powerless to resist. 

Betty shifted again, this time rolling around to face him and Jughead was once again left feeling completely overwhelmed by her. Even when she was sick she was still so real and so beautiful. After an agonizingly long day at work without her, he certainly didn’t regret coming to see her yesterday and he would never regret getting sick - as long as it meant that he could stay here, with this unbelievable person, snuggled into his shoulder for as long as possible. 

He watched her sleep for a while longer before his restraint finally broke and he caressed her cheek, gently stirring her. 

“Hey.” she murmured, stretching out her stiff and lethargic muscles. 

“Hey yourself,” Jughead whispered, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose, “You feeling any better?” he asked.

“Slightly,” Betty sighed. Her nose was still kind of blocked and her throat was still a little sore, that being said she did seem better though, “But I think you being here and all that medication you gave me last night definitely helped.”

He smiled at her warmly and tightened his arms around her waist. 

“I bet you’re glad I showed up when I did.” 

“Maybe a little,” she giggled, snuggling into him and kissing his neck. She sighed and skimmed her hand lightly over his chest for a few minutes, “I suppose you’ll have to leave soon.” 

“And why would I do that?” 

“Because you have a job,” Betty pointed out with a laugh, “Remember?” 

Jughead closed his eyes and shrugged. “I think I’ll call in sick today.” 

“Jug!” Betty laughed before she involuntarily coughed, “You can’t do that!” 

“Why not?” he chuckled, “Besides I am starting to feel a little flu-ish actually” he said forcing out a cough. 

“You’re ridiculous.” Betty giggled as she slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. Jughead smirked after her and pushed himself into a more upright position, leaning against the wooden bed frame for support. 

He sighed contently and looked around the spacious room, smiling broadly when he noticed how Betty Cooper every aspect of it truly was - every single unassuming detail, both large and small, was a stark contrast to the rest of the excessive apartment beyond her door. 

The most prominent thing in Betty’s room though was definitely her bookshelf and Jughead smirked when he noticed that it was starting to bow under the weight of all the novels she had. Intrigued, he climbed out of bed to examine it more closely and was left feeling genuinely impressed by her once again. Her collection was an beautiful mix of modern day works and classic literary novels. She had even dipped her toes into the world of poetry - a genre that fascinated him as well. 

Wearing a crooked smile, he brushed his fingers along the cracked and broken spines. She was just as well read as him, maybe even more so. 

A pair of arms wrapped around him then and his crooked smile grew into a full blown grin when he felt Betty kiss his back through the thin material of his t-shirt. 

“What are you doing?” she asked, sliding her hands over his torso and up to his chest, making his stomach clench with obvious heat. 

“Just browsing,” he said, “You’ve got an incredible collection.” 

“Thank you, a lot of them came from my dad.” 

“Have you read most of them?” Jughead asked, trailing his finger over her aged copy of Walt Whitman poems. 

“Almost all of them,” Betty admitted honestly, “I still have one or two that I need to get through.” 

“Which one did you read last?” he asked curiously. Keeping her one arm around Jughead, Betty moved to stand next to him, scanning over her books until she found her copy of Paper Towns by John Green. 

She looked at Jughead and giggled at the questioning look he gave her. 

“I know it’s not a classic or a critically acclaimed novel, but he truly is a fantastic writer.” 

When Jughead still looked confused and unconvinced, Betty took his hand and lead him back to the bed where they sat down again with their backs pressed against the bed frame. 

“Okay Mr Doubty,” she said, ignoring his laughter while she flipped through the book, “Read this.” she said once she had found the right page. 

Jughead took it from her wearing his wide, jokey smile and sighed before he started to read. 

“I always thought of it like you said, that all the strings inside him broke. But there are a thousand ways to look at it: maybe the strings break, or maybe our ships sink, or maybe we’re grass — our roots so interdependent that no one is dead as long as someone is alive,” he paused when Betty dropped her head onto his shoulder and nuzzled herself into the dip between his shoulder and neck. He cleared his throat and continued.

“We don’t suffer from a shortage of metaphors, is what I mean. But you have to be careful which metaphor you choose, because it matters. If you choose the strings, then you’re imagining a world in which you can become irreparably broken. If you choose the grass, you’re saying that we are all infinitely interconnected, that we can use these root systems not only to understand one another but to become one another. The metaphors have implications. Do you know what I mean?” 

By the time Jughead had finished reading, his voice was barely above a whisper - clearly stunned by the surprising passage. He closed the book and ran his thumb over the pages methodically - deep in thought. 

“Do you understand now ... why I love it so much?” Betty asked him quietly. 

“I do.” he said just as quietly. 

To Betty Cooper these words weren’t just a part of some fictitious story. To her it was a concept - one that helped her and allowed her to believe that she would never be alone during the darkest moments in her life. After everything she had told him about her mother and her life before moving to New York, it was clear that she needed to know that someone would always there for her. That someone would always be thinking about her, even when she was convinced that no one was. 

He eyed his old grey beanie lying on the bedside table and sighed. He could definitely relate to that in his own way. After all, he knew what a safety blanket looked like and John Green’s thoughts on metaphors was undoubtedly hers. 

Wordlessly, Jughead set the book aside and slowly shifted them so that they were lying under the duvet again. He wrapped his arms around her then and held her close. 

“I understand.” he said, pressing a comforting kiss on her forehead. 

Betty acknowledged his answer, but she didn’t say anything for a while and he wondered perhaps if she was waiting for him to explain or elaborate further, but she broke the silence before he could find out. 

“Jug?” 

“Betts?” 

She propped herself up on her elbow and eyed him curiously. 

“What’s your real name?” 

Jughead smirked, internally breathing a sigh of relief.

“And what makes you think ‘Jughead’ isn’t my real name?” he asked with a chuckle. 

Betty raised an eyebrow in question. “Is it?” 

“Well no, but -“ 

“- then what is it?” she asked, gently cutting him off with her unwavering determination. 

Jughead sighed and looked at her somberly. He was doing it again. He was hiding from her even though he felt perfectly safe lying exactly where he was right now. He really did appreciate these moments of vulnerability, but a part of him was still afraid that if he revealed too much, too soon then their happy little bubble might burst. 

It had nothing to do with a lack of trust, just a lack of confidence in himself. 

“Promise you won’t laugh?” he eventually sighed in defeat, tucking a hand behind his head. He needed to give her something and he supposed that this was the best place to start. 

Betty nodded and then she smiled softly when he brought his hand up to caress her cheek, her green eyes staring down at him expectantly. 

“Forsythe,” he finally mumbled, “My name is Forsythe Pendleton Jones III.” 

Needless to say - despite her promise - she was laughing hysterically a few seconds later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated! Xx


	7. Meetings and A Late Night Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s Veronica’s party - how will things go down? :) 
> 
> This is a bit long, but an important chapter nonetheles! I hope you enjoy it. Xx

Jughead shifted nervously on the balls of his feet as he rode the elevator up to Betty’s apartment.

It was Friday night - the chosen night for Veronica’s party and the fated night when he would finally meet the two people in his girlfriends life who knew her better than most. 

Jughead exhaled heavily, trying to expel the anxiety as it bubbled away inside his chest. It was silly for him to feel so nervous, because he knew from a reasonable point of view that there was actually nothing to be worried about. (After all, Betty had reassured him, with a teasing and crooked grin, that she would never let anything happen to him at the big bad party).

But despite her reassurances, he couldn’t ignore the nagging and rather annoying part of him that had to consider whether or not Betty’s friends - who both loved and cared about her deeply - would be able to pick up on the fact that he still had an important and underlying truth to reveal. 

After sharing that intimate moment in her bed on Tuesday morning, Jughead had toyed with the idea of how to broach the looming conversation of ‘I need to tell you something’ with Betty. 

He had tried to stall the inevitable by telling himself that there were things to consider and complicated details that needed to be sorted out - but that lie was a pointless lie and he knew it - because there was hardly anything to consider and the details weren’t complicated at all. In fact they were very simple. 

All he wanted was to be alone with her in a moment that was undeniably right, before he dove in head first and revealed everything to this beautiful person in his life who had successfully weaseled her way into his heart. 

He planned on telling her soon - he just had to get through tonight first. 

When the elevator doors finally opened, Jughead sucked in one more deep breath and desperately tried to steady himself as he stepped into the hallway - but that action turned out to be pretty pointless as well, because within an instant all of that air was gone. 

Of course, she was the first thing he had to see tonight and, of course, he was left completely stunned the very second he did. 

She was waiting for him near the front door, her blonde ponytail swishing ever so slightly while she swayed to the soft contemporary music drifting out of the apartment. 

His throat went dry while he watched her and all he could think about was that he was used to seeing Betty Cooper in jeans and sweaters - not light blue dresses that ended mid thigh and fell effortlessly around her slim frame. The sight of her as she was now mixed with the breathtaking smile she wore when she finally spotted him, simply meant that calling her anything less than incredible would be an understatement. 

Seeing her did something remarkable to him, making his whole body and stomach tighten and churn with tangible heat and desire. 

He swallowed back his nerves and approached her wearing a lopsided smile. 

“Hey you!” Betty said, giggling softly when he stepped forward and simply hugged her, burying his face into the her vanilla scented neck, lips pressed to her skin. God, he loved that smell so fucking much. 

He indulged himself for a few more seconds before he pulled back just enough to lean in and kiss her with warmth and mild restraint, leaving her a little flustered by the time they broke apart. 

“Sorry I’m a little late.” Jughead said apologetically. 

“Late? I’m just glad you came.” Betty joked lightly, straightening the black collared shirt he wore underneath his trusty dark denim jacket. 

He chuckled at the comment, remembering that he had mentioned his distaste towards parties to her shortly after she had invited him to this one.

“Well as you put it; ‘It’s one party Jug ... I’m sure you’ll survive.’ Besides, if I didn’t come tonight I would never have seen how beautiful you look and that would’ve been a real shame.” he gave her another slow, gentle kiss which left her smiling by the time they separated. He moved to step into the apartment, but Betty quickly stopped him, pushing him further outside instead. 

“Okay wait - wait ... just a quick warning before you go in there.” 

Jughead raised an eyebrow at her.

“Okay I know I said that I don’t like going to parties, but I still know the basics; stay away from the seafood, don’t drink the punch, don’t steal someone else’s piece of cake ...”

Betty rolled her eyes and laughed, smacking his arm playfully. 

“I’m being serious, my one friend might be waiting to ambush you with a million questions and I just want you to be prepared.” 

“Well I guess we shouldn’t be that surprised,” Jughead pointed out. He certainly wasn’t, not after hearing everything Betty had told him about Veronica Lodge, who apparently wasn’t very good at implementing the concept of ‘self control’, 

“So what’s the game plan?” he asked with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying himself far to much. Betty seemed to notice and smiled roguishly as well. 

“Just stay close to me and if it’s too much, I’ll whisk you away.” 

Jughead shifted closer to her, his arms coming around her waist, pulling her flush against him. He smiled down at her warmly.

“Like this?” he asked.

“Exactly like this.” she giggled, her eyes soft and teasing as she leaned up to kiss him once again. 

Turns out it would take a lot more than staying close to Betty’s side to keep Veronica Lodge at bay, because the second Jughead wandered into the crowded, but surprisingly calm and stylish party with Betty hanging onto his arm, a raven haired girl (presumably her) spotted them and made a beeline in their direction without hesitation. 

Betty saw her coming as well and automatically leaned into Jughead. 

“Prepare yourself.” she managed to whisper in his ear before her friend arrived, her lips pulled into a dazzling smile that stretched from ear to ear.

“Veronica Lodge,” she introduced herself with the kind of confidence that intimidated Jughead more than it should have, “You must be Jughead.” 

“I am, it’s ah ... nice to -“ 

“- Its nice to meet you as well!” Veronica finished enthusiastically, “Now, I’m sure B has already warned you that I have a billion questions to ask you -“ 

“V, please - ” Betty started to say, but Veronica held up her hand, silencing her friend mid-sentence.

“But, after much deliberation I have graciously decided to drop that number down to just a few.” she said, motioning for them to follow her as she took off towards the lounge. 

Jughead glanced at Betty who simply shrugged and smiled at him as if to say ‘You’ll get used to it’. She laced her fingers with his and the two of them followed after her friend. 

“So Jug-head,” Veronica looked him over as they sat down - Betty and Jughead on one couch, Veronica on the other, “Where are you from?”

“Here actually - born and raised.” he answered, giving Betty’s hand a gentle squeeze when she shifted protectively close to him on the couch. She was more nervous than he was apparently. 

The interaction didn’t go unnoticed by Veronica who nodded and hid her smirk behind a sip of wine. 

“And you studied English Literature at NYU?” she asked next, her glass of red wine hanging dangerously from her blasé fingers. 

Jughead nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the expensive looking glass of liquid. “Yeah ... I - ah ... I’m hoping to be a published author one day.” he explained. 

“Have you written anything yet?” 

“I’m ... in the process of writing something at the moment, but I have written a couple of stories, just nothing worth publishing yet.” 

Veronica eyed him curiously and sipped her wine again. Her obvious perusal made Jughead feel a little uncomfortable especially when his thoughts from the elevator suddenly re-emerged. He swallowed discretely and wished he had a drink to calm his nerves. 

“Criminal record - how bad is it?” Veronica’s next question caught them both off guard - Betty more so than Jughead. 

“Veronica!” she gasped, completely horrified by her friends senseless probing. 

“What?” Veronica questioned innocently, “You can never be to careful, B” 

Jughead chuckled under his breath while he watched the exchange and grinned at Betty when she rolled her eyes, looking decidedly grumpy. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles softly.

“It’s non-existent.” he told them both with an unwavering air of confidence - a feat he could manage simply because it was true. By some miracle he had never been caught or implicated in anything during his years with Serpents. 

“You see,” Veronica smirked at Betty, “Now you know he’s not some crazy criminal.” 

“I kind of guessed that already,” Betty said pointedly, eyes narrowed at her friend, “My judgement isn’t that bad you know.” 

Veronica giggled and held up her hands in surrender, giving her a look that said ‘I know B, I’m just teasing you’. Betty rolled her eyes at the silent comment and stood up with a huff. 

“I’m going to get a drink.” she grumbled and after giving Jughead a lingering peck and whispering ‘I’ll be right back’, she disappeared into the crowd of strangers and out of sight. 

Sniggering to herself, Veronica turned her attention back to Jughead, her demeanor noticeably less intense then before. That didn’t exactly settle him down though, because the idea that all of her previous questions had been asked purely for fun and interest made him wonder if she would ask some real ones now that they were finally alone. 

“I know it’s wrong of me to tease her like that, but it’s a lot of fun and she knows that I’m only playing with her. In the end, she’s my girl and I do care about her a lot.” Veronica paused to sip her wine again, brown eyes fixed entirely on him, “I’m going to level with you Jughead, I don’t really care about those previous questions or their answers - truthfully there is only one question that I really need to know your answer to.” 

Jughead shifted on the couch, feeling nervous now that Betty wasn’t beside him anymore. He sighed. He knew it. It was almost as if the biggest fear of the evening had come true, because even though Veronica wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as she had been before, but he could detect a more serious undertone to her attitude now which didn’t comfort him in the slightest. Regardless, he nodded his head anyway.

Veronica set her glass down on the table and leaned in closer to him. 

“Do you love her?” she asked bluntly. 

Jughead’s eyes widened and for a brief moment he wasn’t sure if he’d heard Veronica correctly. Yes, he had been warned that she was a little forward, but yikes this is more than just a little! Sure, he had some pretty intense feelings for Betty, but could he really term them as ‘Love’? He couldn’t be sure, but ... to be honest he wasn’t unsure either. There was that unexplained feeling though, ever present in his heart and mind whenever she was or wasn’t around. Could that really be ‘love’? he wondered. Could it? 

He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“Well, I ... I mean I -“ 

“Okay wait, let me rephrase that!” Veronica interrupted quickly, “Do you care about her? I mean really care about her?” 

Okay, now that was easy. Of course he cared about Betty. In fact, he was certain that he cared about her more than he had ever thought was possible, especially for someone like him. 

“I do,” he said after a pause, smiling to himself, “I really do care about her a lot. So much so that it actually scares me a little bit.” 

Hearing those words come out of his own mouth only solidified the notion for him further and when he looked up at Veronica, he was beyond relieved when he saw her beaming at him. Clearly she liked his response. 

He felt something shift between them then and he noticed that there was no doubt or suspicion left in Veronica’s eyes - in fact she looked damn near impressed, which finally calmed Jughead’s nerves. 

“Good answer Jones.” she said, smiling behind another sip of wine. 

They chatted aimlessly after that until Betty finally reappeared with a couple of drinks and Veronica decided that that was her cue to leave. She stood up quickly and smiled. 

“Well anyway, it was nice to meet you Jughead. I hope you enjoy the party.” And with that, she winked at Betty and strolled off to mingle with the other guests before either Jughead or Betty could even respond. 

“So, what did you guys talk about?” Betty asked curiously, handing Jughead one of the drinks. 

“Stuff ...”

“Just stuff?” Betty questioned a little impatiently.

Jughead shot her a teasing grin and slipped one of his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She cocked an eyebrow at him as if to say ‘Really, not you as well!’ 

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple. Veronica was right. This was a lot of fun. 

 

Jughead Jones was not a social butterfly. He was not an extrovert. Which is why, if he ever found himself at a party for whatever reason, he would always end up standing near the complementary table of snacks - because snacks didn’t silently judge you, boast or talk in general. 

Veronica’s party was no different and even though he spent most of the evening talking to Archie Andrews, Veronica’s boyfriend and Betty’s close childhood friend (who was thankfully a lot less inquisitive about his friends new relationship), ‘bro-bonding’ over their mutual love of food, movies, cars and video games - he somehow still ended up next to the large table of fancy finger foods, only this time he wasn’t hungry - least for anything displayed on the platters before him. 

So while Archie continued to gorge himself on the assortment of mini foods, Jughead decided to sate his appetite in a different way by keeping his eyes fixed on Betty Cooper and Betty Cooper only. 

She was still talking to Kevin and Moose - undoubtedly filling them in on the details of their relationship (Yet another reason why he was standing here)- when her green eyes suddenly drifted and fell on him once again. Unable to help himself, he flashed her another broad grin and winked, causing a deep blush to creep up her neck and cover her cheeks. When Kevin noticed, he immediately started to laugh and proceeded to tease Betty only to receive a verbal warning and shoulder slap in return. 

“I really am happy for you guys,” Archie said suddenly, smiling as he watched Betty laugh and speak animatedly with Moose and Kevin.

“Thanks man.” Jughead smiled at him appreciatively before he uncharacteristically declined the mini meatball Archie offered him. 

“Of all the people in this world she really does deserve to catch a break in the relationship department.” Archie commented, stuffing another mini samosa into his mouth. 

Jughead frowned slightly. “What do you mean?” 

Truthfully, he had decided not to ask Betty about her previous boyfriends out of respect (he wanted her to tell him about that in her own time) and because he preferred to avoid any situation that could make him potentially jealous - but Archie’s comment unsurprisingly piqued his interest. 

“Well ... let’s just say she’s been - ” but Archie stopped short when he saw the very topic of their conversation heading towards them. Jughead spotted her as well and suddenly anything Archie Andrews had to say became completely irrelevant. In fact, he was so enamored by the sight of her that he didn’t even notice the red head smile at them and slip away. 

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you told me that the snack table is your friend at parties.” Betty teased, stepping closer to him so that she could wrap her arms around his middle. 

“What can I say, the snack table and I have a long standing relationship,” he teased back, his arms coming around her waist as well as he leaned down and kissed her smiling mouth, “Why? Are you jealous?”

“Me? ... never!” she grinned. 

Jughead smirked and ran one of his hands up her side, tickling the covered skin with his fingers. She wilted in his arms immediately, laughing hysterically until she collapsed into his chest where she nuzzled herself into his collarbone. 

Jughead chuckled against her hair and tightened his arms around her, thinking that it felt ... nice to do this in a crowded room where everyone knew what they were to each other - not that they had really been hiding to begin with. 

“I missed you,” Betty mumbled, “And here I was thinking that we would be joined at the hip tonight.” 

Jughead chuckled again and kissed the top of her head before he nuzzled his face into the addictive scent lingering on her neck. 

“That probably would’ve happened if Archie hadn’t been here tonight.” he mumbled against her skin. 

“Hmmm ... so you like him?” 

“I do,” he said honestly, “And despite that little interrogation, I like Veronica as well.” 

He skimmed his hands over the soft material of her dress and she smiled against his chest. 

“I think they like you as well, they would’ve told me by now if they didn’t.” 

Jughead snickered against her neck. He figured as much. Veronica didn’t really seem like the type to sit back and not voice her opinion on something if she didn’t like it. 

A comfortable silence simmered between them for a while, during which time Betty started to slowly smooth her hands over and along his lower back, causing that familiar heat from before to course through his veins once again. 

Throughout the evening he had noticed her subtle glances, the way her eyes watched him closely and how her cheeks would flush whenever he caught her staring - their attraction for each other palpable to themselves and to anyone else in the room. 

So when Betty coyly suggested that they go somewhere ‘else’ for just a minute, they quickly managed to sneak away from the party and headed down the hallway to her room - where they could hopefully express those built up feelings. 

As soon as the door was closed, Betty backed up against it and gently pulled on the collar of his shirt, begging him to close the distance between them. Jughead complied to her silent request, positioning his hands on either side of her head, effectively trapping her, as he leaned in and brushed his lips agonizingly slow and teasingly over hers. The room was quiet and dark. It’s walls concealing them from any prying eyes or sharp ears during their romantic tryst. 

With his forehead pressed against hers, Jughead opened his eyes and his body tightened when saw the same, unmistakable heat and want he felt churning in the pit of his stomach reflected in her bright green eyes. So, not wanting to waste anymore time, he moved and when their lips finally connected, neither of them held back. 

To say that the kiss was desperate or hungry or even needy would certainly be a bit of an understatement. 

They kissed fervently, their warm tongues meeting eagerly, and a groan escaped from Jughead’s throat when Betty’s hands slid into his jet black hair and gripped it tightly, causing his beloved beanie to fall to the ground. He pressed his body urgently against hers, his heat mixing with her own, as his mouth trailed kiss after kiss along the line of her jaw, before moving down to her neck where he started to lick and suck and mark her soft, pale skin, causing her to gasp and whimper into the darkness. 

They hadn’t kissed like this - with so much abandon or lack of limitations - since that fateful night of the book club meeting and while passion and need always fueled every kiss they had shared since then, it was clear that this moment was very different - the driving force behind it being to quench the underlying thirst they had for each other all the time. 

The moment was real, energetic, magnetic ... sinful - allowing them both to lose themselves in each other’s embrace. 

Betty brought his lips back up to hers and kissed him deeply, their mouths and tongues working in tandem to swallow each others strangled moans when she started to instinctively grind her hips against his own. He could feel himself starting to stir at the titillating friction her enthralling and marvelous movements created, but when he felt her fingers reach for the buttons of his shirt - guilt suddenly washed over him like a wave, pinching painfully and drowning his already thumping heart. 

“Wa ... wait - wait Betts ...” he eventually managed to say, both of them breathing heavily as they reluctantly pulled a part. 

“I ... I’m sorry Jug - I ... I didn’t mean to take it that far...” Betty croaked after a moment, her hands clutching at his shirt again. The break in her voice prompted Jughead to look at her and see the worry and confusion etched into her gorgeous features. It damn near broke his heart. She couldn’t possibly think that he was made at her, could she? 

“God Betts,” he gasped desperately, bringing his hands up to her face, his thumbs making short work of any tears on her cheeks, “Please, please don’t apologise! It’s not that I don’t want to do this ... in fact you have no idea how much I want to do this,” he paused and gritted his teeth, mentally kicking himself for putting this off for as long as he had. There was no point in avoiding it anymore. God, he didn’t want to avoid it anymore! He wanted her to know the truth. He wanted her to know everything. 

Sensing her lingering distress, he quickly leaned in and gave her a reassuring kiss. 

“Please Betts,” he pleaded quietly, “I want this and I want you so much ... I just ... I have to tell you something first.” 

~~~

Everything happened so fast. 

One minute Betty Cooper was in a bubble, passionately making out with her wonderful boyfriend and then, she was suddenly sitting next to him in the back of a taxi, desperately trying to keep this bought of unanticipated confusion and anxiety from blossoming any more than it already had. 

Jughead didn’t say anything as they sat in the darkened cab together and Betty could tell that something was clearly bothering him, but whenever she tried to broach the topic with him, he would simply say, ‘Trust me, it’s better if I just show you, Betts.’ 

So she decided to trust him and wait, her mind still reeling from every unexpected event that had transpired in the last twenty minutes of her life. How could they go from almost being in the throws of passion together to sitting awkwardly in the back of a cab in such a short space of time? It was absolutely maddening! 

Initially, she had allowed herself to believe that her daring actions during their very romantic rendezvous had inadvertently caused his erratic behaviour, but her self-criticisms were quickly squashed by him and his desperate pleas and his reassuring kisses. So if she wasn’t the source of his curious mannerisms, what was? 

These frenetic thoughts consumed her, keeping her well and truly distracted until the cab finally pulled up to the sidewalk in front of The Paperback. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and then she frowned. What on earth were they doing here? 

Once they were out of the car and on the sidewalk, Betty was ready to ask her questions and get some answers, but before she could even open her mouth, Jughead brought his hands up to her neck and captured her lips with his once again. Her arms automatically slipped around him while he kissed her, slowly and thoroughly, his lips working to chase her anxiety away. 

“Jug, please ... just tell me what’s going on.” she begged once they had separated, her eyes trying to decipher the poorly disguised fear in his own. He sighed heavily, his thumb gently stroking the line of her jaw. 

“I’m sorry Betts, I know I’m being very cryptic, but I promise all of this has a purpose. You just need to trust me okay?” 

“Okay.” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him again. 

Clutching her hand tightly, Jughead led her through the dark and empty store, their quiet footsteps magnified by the silence that surrounded them. For Betty it felt strange to be in here at night - the familiar space cold and void of its usual glow of warmth and sunlight. It certainly wasn’t what she was used to. 

As they hurried past shelf after shelf of methodically placed books, Betty suddenly realised that Jughead was leading her towards the storerooms at the back of the book store. Why though, what did they have to hide? 

When they stopped in front of the second one - the one she was certain they never ever used - Betty’s curiosity only heightened. Jughead hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed with uncertainty, before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his set of keys. He glanced at her and even in the faint light, Betty could see the bizarre combination of trust and mild distress that clouded his blue eyes. 

She smiled at him softly, hoping to ease his muddled thoughts and watched with baited breath when he sighed and finally unlocked the door.

She wasn’t sure what she expected to see behind the door, but she certainly didn’t expect to see this. 

Not the unmade bed that had clearly been slept in or the books that had been neatly stacked along the wall opposite her or the folded pile of clothes placed on a nearby chair. She stepped into the dimly lit, makeshift room not really sure what to think or say, so she turned to him for answers and when he didn’t give her any, she decided to guess instead. 

“Jug, are ... are you living here?” she whispered. 

Looking decidedly shamefaced, he stepped into the room as well and ran his fingers through his hair, removing his beanie in one swift motion. She watched him twist the hat tightly in his hands for a moment before he sighed and nodded his head. 

Betty gasped under her breath, a little shocked and surprised by his unexpected confession. All this time he’d been living here, in an unused storeroom. Why though? Her heart twisted painfully as the possibilities - both good and bad - started to scatter around her mind. 

“Jug, why didn’t you tell me?” she asked gently, taking a step closer to him. Closing his eyes, Jughead shook his head and pressed his lips together into a hard line and she could tell that he was definitely mad at himself. 

“I don’t know,” he eventually sighed, “I guess I was just ashamed and,” he paused to look at her, looking and feeling disheartened. 

“What?” she pressed lightly, taking another cautious step towards him. 

“I was afraid Betty, I ... I thought if I told you about all of this too soon that it might change the way you look at me.” Jughead admitted. Sighing brokenly, he dropped his eyes to the ground - to contrite to even look at her and eventually went over to the ‘bed’ where he sat down and buried his hands in his hair.

“Jug ...” Betty sighed softly, walking over to join him, “I can promise you right now that this,” she gestured to their surroundings, “Will never change the way I look at you.” 

“Really?” he asked, giving her a sideways glance. She smiled at him encouragingly and after slipping an arm around him and leaning into his side, she kissed the nape of his neck. 

“I promise.” she murmured into his skin.

“I’m sorry Betty,” he said quietly, straightening slightly to face her, “I should’ve told -“ 

“Hey,” she interrupted him gently, “It’s alright Juggie, you don’t have to explain anything, okay? I completely understand why you didn’t tell me.” 

And she did understand, maybe not from a personal standpoint, but from a logical one. She could only imagine how hard it must of been for him to reveal something like this to her - let along anyone. She could see the guilt in his eyes and although the situation broke her heart a little bit - it also warmed the very cockles of it as well, because this little admission helped to clarify his strange behavior in her bedroom earlier. 

It all made sense now and she smiled to herself, loving and appreciating the fact that he refused to take things with her any further until she knew about this. 

“Yeah, but -“ he started to say. 

“But nothing!” Betty said, rubbing her hand over his shoulder before moving it up his neck to tangle in his hair, “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Jughead Jones.” 

He smiled sheepishly and leaned into her, their foreheads resting against each others. 

“I swear, I don’t deserve you Betty Cooper.” he breathed, the relief clear in his voice. 

“Maybe I don’t deserve you.” Betty quipped back playfully. 

“Not possible ... I still have a lot to tell you.” he warned. 

“And I’ll be waiting to hear what ever it is when you’re ready to talk about it.” Betty told him, brushing her lips against his in a sweet kiss.

When she pulled back, Jughead groaned softly at the lost of contact and quickly chased after her lips and she giggled just before he captured them again, breathing her in and kissing her with all the passion and ease he felt towards her in that moment. 

She felt his hand slowly move up the side of her body, purposefully brushing against her breast and when the kiss inevitably shifted into something more hungry and vigorous, he pressed himself against her, prompting her to lie down while they continued to throughly and desperately explore each other - the heat of their bodies blending together once again. 

There was no hesitation this time, no restraint or uncertainty. Which is why when she started to undo the buttons on his shirt this time, he simply moved his lips down to her neck with no intention of stopping her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated! Xx


	8. Intimacy and Details

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to heat up ... Hope you enjoy it! Xx 
> 
> Warning: Smut ahead ... ;)

Jughead broke the kiss and shrugged off his shirt, tossing it aside aimlessly before he returned to Betty, kissing her with an obvious and bruising kind of passion - the kind he had never felt before. 

His tongue delved deep into her mouth, their bodies grinding and pressing earnestly against each other, searching for some kind of friction or relief. She tasted amazing. She smelt fantastic. She was staggering in every sense of the word. 

They kissed with wild abandon, both of them engulfed in silence and faded light, until Betty pulled away and gently pushed him to lie on his back. 

She straddled his hips and he automatically placed his hands on her thighs, his fingers fiddling with the soft material he found there, while he watched with baited breath as she reached behind her and slowly unzipped her dress, pulling the straps off her shoulders so that the light blue garment fell down to her waist, revealing her almost naked self to him. 

Jughead swallowed thickly and he felt himself harden at the sight. She was incredible or, dare he say it, perfect in this moment. With a shaky hand, he reached out and skimmed his fingers lightly over her smooth stomach before he moved up to her lace covered breast. He cupped her and squeezed gently, causing Betty to moan softly and arch into his touch. 

“You’re so beautiful.” he whispered, his awestruck eyes fixed entirely on hers. She grinned and blushed under his steady gaze, which only aroused him even more - his jeans noticeably and uncomfortably tight now. She stared down at him, her green eyes sparkling with a mixture of happiness, awe, lust and ... mild uncertainty. It was almost non existent, but it was still there and the last thing he wanted was for her to regret anything that happened between them. 

“We don’t have to do anything, Betts.” he said, moving his hand up to her neck, his thumb stroking the skin there softly. Betty smiled, genuinely touched by how considerate he was being, and traced her fingers along the lines of his modest, but still well defined torso. She didn’t say anything though, opting to lean down and kiss him instead. She didn’t want them to wait anymore.

Betty ran her tongue along the seam of his lips and when he gladly opened for her, she wasted no time taking the opportunity to deepen the kiss, her one hand snaking back to discreetly unclasp her bra. 

Heat and desire surged through him when she straightened up again and unexpectedly removed the white lace from her shoulders, his throat and body tightening even more. God, she was so beautiful. 

Drawn to her like a moth to a flame, he sat up as well and wrapped his arms around her, his lips brushing over hers while he reached up and freed her hair from the tight restraints of her ponytail. Feeling her now bare body - her warm, bare skin - pressed against his own made him shiver with anticipation and a low groan slipped from his throat when she threaded her hands into his hair, tugging lightly. 

 

They kissed again, slowly and deeply, their tongues still curling around each other when Jughead shifted them so that she was lying underneath him. He settled himself between her legs and pulled back to look at her, his brisk heart beat matching and mixing with hers.

“You okay?” he whispered. Betty nodded and sighed contently when he dipped his head and started to kiss the length of her neck. 

“Just tell me if you want me to stop, okay?” he murmured the words against her already over-heated skin, trailing open mouthed kisses from her neck down to her heaving chest. He looked up at her, his eyebrows raised in question and she nodded immediately - her want and general excitement for what was to come, heightening with every second that passed. 

Having gained her permission to continue, he lowered his head again and she gave a soft cry when his wandering lips suddenly covered her breast - sucking at the skin before his tongue swirled around her already taut nipple. 

She moaned and closed her eyes, her body arching and writhing beneath him at the sensual contact of his of hot, wet mouth moving over her skin. He pulled off the rest of her dress and threw it off to the side before he moved his hand up the inside of her leg and brushed his fingers faintly over her already aching core, the action causing her to whimpered with need and pleasure. 

“Jug ...” she breathed desperately, her nails raking over the strong plains of his back before they slipped into his hair. 

“Tell me what you want Betts.” he said, sucking intently on the swell of her breast before soothing the fresh mark with his tongue. 

“I want you to ...g-god ... I want you to t-touch me.” she eventually stuttered, blushing at how ridiculously shy she was being all of a sudden. Jughead grinned at the needy response, his fingers teasing the soft skin above the waistline of her matching lace underwear. He kissed and sucked at her skin one more time before he leaned up and captured her lips in a searing, tongue filled kiss. 

“You remember what I said to you earlier?” he murmured against her mouth, his fingers skimming lower and dangerously close to where she wanted him the most. Betty nodded and he kissed her again, swallowing her soft whimper before it could escape into the stillness around them. 

“I mean it Betts, if you feel uncomfortable ...” 

“I won’t, Juggie.” she promised him breathlessly, her hips desperately lifting to his, begging for his touch. He rested his forehead against hers and nodded, once again taking her mouth with his in a hard, torrid kiss which she returned eagerly. 

She felt him moved his fingers lower then, slowly dipping them beyond the line of her panties and into her folds. She gasped against his mouth at the incredible feeling and he groaned into hers when he felt how wet she already was for him. 

“God Betts ...” he breathed out, his head dropping into the crook of her neck where he kissed, bit and sucked with purpose, while his fingers found and gently circled her already swollen nub. 

She could only gasp, whimper and moan against his ear in response, her one hand gripping his hair while the other dug into his arm. His fingers found an easy rhythm and her hips lifted regularly to his seductive touch as he eased them in and over her slick and sensitive flesh.

Betty could barely breathe or think throughout the entire experience, her body and mind completely flooded with untainted desire and it wasn’t long until she felt that familiar heat starting to uncoil inside her as she built towards release. 

When her legs started to shake and her harsh breathing turned into soft cries, Jughead picked up the pace, his teeth marking her neck, his long fingers curling and pressing deeper and she splintered apart moments later, his name falling from her lips amidst her gasps and cries of pure bliss. 

Feeling a little breathless as well, Jughead continued to stroke her gently until she came down from her release, his lips pressing soft kisses across her flushed chest and her rapidly beating heart. When her vice like grip on his arm and hair finally relaxed and her breathing calmed to semi-normal, Jughead removed his fingers and glanced at her. She looked euphoric - her cheeks pink, her eyes sated and glazed with desire when she looked at him. He smirked. 

“You good?” he asked, brushing the strands of hair off her face before he leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. Betty nodded. 

“Jug, that was ...” she trailed off wearing a dazzling smile, still trying to catch her breath. 

“Mind blowing?” he offered, his smirk still firmly in place. 

“Shut up.” Betty giggled weakly, hiding her face in the crook of his neck. He chuckled and moved slightly so that he could kiss her again. 

They kissed leisurely for a moment, both of them still recovering from their most intimate moment to date, until Betty moved her lips to his neck and her hand slid over his torso and down to his belt - intending to return the favour. 

“Don’t worry about that,” Jughead said, gently pulling her hand away from his hard and tender groin. He kissed the hinge of her jaw and playfully nipped at her earlobe, “I think we’ve done enough for tonight.” 

“Oh - so you don’t want me to ... you know ... help you or?” 

Betty sighed and mentally kicked herself, embarrassed by her shyness once again. How could she go from boldly undressing in front of him on his lap to blushing as red as a lobster at the simplest sex related question? He chuckled and eased off to the side, pulling her firmly into his chest. 

“I do want that Betts ... more than anything, but I’ll be alright for tonight. Besides I don’t want to do anything else here. I want our first time together to be somewhere better than some dusty, old storeroom.” 

Betty smiled at him warmly and brushed back the ever present curl of hair off his forehead. He was so handsome like this - shirtless, relaxed and confident - it made her stomach twist and flutter amorously. She wanted to tell him that it didn’t matter where their first time together happened. That this moment had been magical despite the circumstances. That she didn’t care as long as she had him .... but she decided to indulge his request by kissing his neck instead. 

“Are you sure?” she asked, running her hand over his chest in one last ditch attempt. She felt his muscles shiver and twitch under her touch and he quickly caught her hand, kissing it in response. 

“I’m sure,” Jughead said, stroking his thumb over her knuckles, “Honestly, I wouldn’t have done anything with you in this place, but you looked so damn beautiful tonight I just couldn’t help myself.” 

She giggled at the endearing comment and kissed the underside of his jaw before she slipped out of bed, narrowly avoiding his attempt to grab her and pull her back. 

Betty scanned around the room until she found his shirt and quickly pulled it on - doing up some, but not all of the buttons. She crawled back under the covers again and he pulled her back into his embrace, his lips dusting a comforting kiss on her forehead. He was so warm and he smelt wonderful, his intoxicating scent lingering on absolutely everything now - including her. 

Betty sighed happily as she cuddled into him and when her legs tangled with his own, she realised that he was only wearing a pair of boxers now - most likely to relieve himself as much as he possibly could. 

She bit her lip and nuzzled his chest wearing a smile. She really wanted to help him and, honestly, if she had a little more energy she probably would’ve - but the excitement of the evening was finally starting to take its toll and pretty soon she was closing her eyes and falling into a restful sleep with her head on his chest and his steady heart beat playing in her ear. 

~~~

When Betty woke up again it was early in the morning - the soft light creeping through the small window barely managing to fill up the dark spaces in the room. 

She smiled to herself, feeling unbelievably happy, and carefully turned in Jughead’s arms so that she was facing him again. He was still fast asleep, with one hand tucked behind his head - his handsome features relaxed and almost boyish, his lips slightly parted to allow for his soft breathing. 

She watched him sleep peacefully for awhile, remembering the events from the night before with a huge smile and a faint blush. 

From Jughead meeting and liking her best friends, to him nervously sharing a very personal and difficult truth with her, to the two of them solidifying their already strong bond through a deeply intimate and sensual act -  
Pretty much everything that had happened between them last night could be chalked up as a milestone in their relationship. 

Sure there were questions that still needed to be answered and details to explain and discuss, but it would take more than that to stop her from feeling giddy about the intimate ones she knew about now. 

Using her elbow, Betty propped herself up to look at him properly, taking in his disheveled hair and the small constellations of moles sprinkled across his olive toned skin. She noticed that he also had two tattoos - a detail she had missed due to the fact that he had to be shirtless for her to see them. 

The larger of the two was some kind of Latin phrase inked along the left side of his body in large, curved letters. Betty was amazed that she hadn’t noticed it last night, but then again she had been a little preoccupied and distracted at the time. She brushed her fingers lightly over the cryptic words, wondering what they meant and why they were significant to him. 

Her eyes drifted up to the second tattoo then, which covered the skin on the inside of his right bicep. 

Unlike the plain and simple Latin text - the vicious, two headed snake, shaped and styled to look like an ‘S’, came across as a lot more aggressive and ... dangerous than his other one. Feeling curious, she examined it a little more closely and gasped softly when she noticed the distinct, jagged scars that marred his skin - slicing right through the heads and body of the snake. 

Completely devastated by the horrific sight, she reached out and touched the damaged skin, rubbing her fingers over the blemishes as if she were trying to alleviate the pain they’d undoubtedly caused him. 

“That’s one of the things we still need to talk about.” 

The sound of his voice, rough and still thick with sleep, prompted her to look at him. He was awake now, his blue eyes watching her closely through the cracked darkness. 

“Can I ask what happened?” Betty whispered, almost as if she were afraid. 

Jughead sighed and reached for her, pulling her back down beside him so that he could wrap her up in his arms again. He didn’t say anything for a while, his hand lazily stroking over her arm - and she patiently waited, her hand drawing small circles on his chest. 

“Do you remember when I told you about my father being the leader of a gang?” he asked and Betty nodded, remembering the conversation they’d shared a couple of weeks ago and how trying it had been for him to talk about. “Well, I ...,” he paused hesitantly, “I was part of it as well ... until about six months ago.” 

Betty pulled back to look at him in shock. “You were in a gang?” 

She wasn’t angry or offended by his confession - only surprised. Truthfully, she found it really hard to believe that the Jughead she knew - that her Jughead Jones - could ever be a member of a dangerous and ruthless biker gang, and yet here he was telling her that he had been. 

Jughead pressed his lips together in a hard line and shifted himself so that he was facing her, his demeanor unmistakably nervous and vulnerable. 

“I was,” he admitted it again, this time making sure that she could see the truth in his eyes, “And it was one of the worst decisions I ever made, but I was young and I was angry after my mom left and all I wanted at the time was to try and connect with my dad, so I joined The Serpents when I was sixteen to be closer to him ...” he trailed off and Betty (still not quite sure what to make of all of this) used the opportunity to touch his arm in an effort to try and comfort him, urging him to continue. 

“It was great at first. Being a Serpent gave my life some kind of direction and purpose and for a while that was enough, but it wasn’t long until things started to change. You see, I made a point to never get involved in the ‘business’ side of things. I never sold drugs or lifted cars or anything like that, but when my dad went to jail and the new leadership took over, they tried to change that.” he looked at her, his eyes broken and somber, “That’s when I knew that this wasn’t the life that I wanted, that I had to get out, but the the hooks were in way too deep and I was stuck Betty ... I was so dependent on The Serpents that I had no idea what I would do if I ever left them.” 

“Oh Jug ...” Betty sighed empathically. 

Just like the night before, she could tell that this was hard and she really couldn’t blame him for being nervous this time. After all, he had just admitted to his girlfriend that he had spent the last seven years of his life in the company of dangerous criminals. Yeah, he had every right to be worried. 

With that in mind, she reached out and gently caressed his cheek, trying to soothe away his worries and his sadness. Trying to tell him that it was okay. That she didn’t care. That she appreciated how much he trusted her. 

“I was determined to get out Betts, and the only way I could possibly do that was by living a double life for a while,” he continued, “So I was a Serpent, forced to do things I didn’t want to do and I was who am I now, a regular guy studying and working odd jobs so that I could leave it all behind one day - but it didn’t exactly work out like that.” 

“The scars ... the Serpents did that to you, didn’t they?” Betty said, putting two and two together. She moved her hand up and brushed the hair out of his eyes, tears pricking her own at the mere thought of someone hurting him. 

“Yeah they did,” he sighed, his voice filled with regret, “I was careless and a little arrogant towards the end and it wasn’t long until they found out that I was planning to leave.”

“So wait, they mutilated your arm because you wanted to live a different life?” Betty said incredulously, “That’s seriously messed up Jug.” 

His eyes softened and he took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. 

“I know ... but you have to understand Betty, when you join the Serpents it’s a ‘For life’ kind of commitment. That’s why they make you get a tattoo. It’s a permanent reminder - that this was your choice. That this is what you wanted -“ 

“But you were sixteen, Juggie. There’s no way you could have known how serious that commitment was?” she was being stubborn now, refusing to let him defend these people or their actions in anyway, shape or form. He smiled at her, appreciating the rather adorable amount of concern she had for him. 

“People did try to warn me Betts ... My dad warned me. My sister warned me. Hell, even some of the other Serpents told me not to do it, but the young, angry version of me chose not to listen to any of them. Those scars were the price I had to pay for my rash decision.” 

“Still ...” Betty grumbled, snuggling herself into him, her legs tangling with his like they had last night. Of course she understood what he was trying to say - that there were faults on both sides - but that didn’t stop her from feeling mad about what they had done to him. Jughead chuckled against her hair and tightened his arms around her, his hand rubbing over her back. 

“It doesn’t really matter now anyway.” he told her softly, “They’re out of my life for good and I’ll probably never bump into them again.” 

“I certainly hope so.” Betty mumbled into his chest, her arms pulling him impossibly close to her. 

Logically, she knew that he was right. The chances of him bumping into them again were slim, but she also knew that the past had a horrible habit of rearing it’s ugly head in the most unexpected moments and she silently hoped that it wouldn’t for once. She was worried about that - but she wouldn’t admit it. Not right now anyway. 

“So, what happened after they” she swallowed, “After they found out?”

“They cast me out and I was in a pretty bad state when they were done with me so I called Kevin - he was the only person I could turn to at the time and, unsurprisingly, he helped me. He took me in for six months, letting me sleep on his couch until I felt like I was imposing and then he offered me this storeroom until I could find a more ... permanent solution.”

Betty smiled at that. It sounded like something Kevin would do. Always a people pleaser, she thought. She also understood now why he hadn’t told her that much about Jughead and his life. Even Kevin knew that this was something Jughead needed to tell her himself. 

She moved then so that she was lying on top of him a little more and Jughead smiled at her, his fingers tucking her hair behind her ear before he leaned in and kissed her. 

“What does this mean?” she asked once they had pulled apart, her fingers running over the tattoo along his side. 

“Auribus Teneo Lupum. It’s a Latin phrase which translated means; ‘I’ve got a wolf by the ears’.” 

“I’ve got a wolf by the ears?” Betty repeated the words wearing a confused frown that made Jughead laugh. 

“I know it’s a little weird ... but it refers to a situation where you are damned if you do something and damned if you don’t.” he explained, “Eerily similar to what I went through before I left the Serpents, don’t you think?” 

“It is,” she agreed, “I take it that’s why you got it?”

Jughead nodded and flashed her a broad, toothy grin. “It seemed appropriate at the time.”

She smiled as well and nestled herself into his warm chest, thinking that it was in fact entirely appropriate for his situation. She felt his hands slip under her shirt then and sighed, loving the feel of his hands on her skin again.

“It doesn’t bother me, you know,” she said after a while, “You being a former gang member, I mean.” 

“I guessed as much,” he admitted with a chuckle, “I figured if it did you would be half way across the country by now, but I really am sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner ... it’s not that I didn’t trust you or anything -.” 

“It’s alright Juggie, you’ve told me now and that’s all that matters. Besides, I know that you trust me, you wouldn’t have been so honest about all of this if you didn’t, so thank you for that.” 

“Aww come on Betts, I’m the one who should be thanking you for listening to me and for being so understanding,” Jughead smiled, his hands slipping under her shirt a little more, leaving goosebumps in their wake, “But you’re welcome Betty.”

She gave him a quick, chaste kiss and dropped her head onto his chest, her fingers finding his once again. 

“By the way, I really enjoyed last night - I’m pretty sure I forgot to tell you that.” she giggled. 

“You didn’t have to,” he said a little smugly, “I could tell that you did.” 

Betty gasped with feigned offense and he laughed when she tickled his side and smacked his arm. 

“God, you’re such a moron!” she accused playfully. 

“That might be true Betts ... but I’m your moron.” he quipped back with a cheeky smile. She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head. 

Well, he certainly wasn’t wrong about that.


	9. Playful Antics and Family Ties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day!! Xx
> 
> Warning: Smut ahead ... ;)

“Once I pass’d through a populous city imprinting my brain for future use with its shows, architecture, customs, traditions,  
Yet now of all that city I remember only a woman I casually met there who detain’d me for love of me,  
Day by day and night by night we were together – all else has long been forgotten by me,  
I remember I say only that woman who passionately clung to me,  
Again we wander, we love, we separate again,  
Again she holds me by the hand, I must not go,  
I see her close beside me with silent lips sad and tremulous.” 

Jughead finished reading and eyed the crowd of people before him with mild amusement, watching as they all puzzled and whispered amongst themselves, trying to place what he had just read. 

He smiled slightly and deliberately shifted his eyes to Betty who was standing in her usual spot in the back. She was watching him, her lips pulled into a roguish smile while her teeth softly gnawed on her fist in a desperate attempt to stop herself from saying anything. 

To keep things fair during this weeks meeting, they had both promised to not participate during each other’s respective turns, but of course, things escalated between them and their ‘promise’ quickly turned into a playful bet of sorts. 

With that in mind, Jughead grinned at her broadly, his blue eyes striking and challenging. Daring her to answer. Betty narrowed her eyes at him and clamped her hand over her mouth in retaliation. Refusing say the answer that was on the very tip of her tongue. 

He cocked another smile at her and using his head, gestured towards the crowd of perplexed people before him as if to say; “Really, you’re not going to answer?”

Betty shrugged her shoulders and shook her head defiantly, but her resistance only lasted for another minute or two before she rolled her eyes impatiently and removed her hand.

“Once I Pass’d Through a Populous City. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.” 

Almost immediately the room was filled with the sounds of people groaning and muttering “Ah dammit!” as they face palmed themselves, all of them annoyed at how stupid they had been not to get the answer or at least say it sooner. 

Jughead on the other hand was positively beaming as he looked at his girlfriend - one, because she was right and two, because, much to her chagrin, he had just won the bet. 

“You just couldn’t resist could you?” Jughead teased as he sauntered over to her. 

“Well it’s ridiculous!” Betty huffed, “How can nobody in this god damn room know who wrote that poem?” 

“Well Whitman is considered to be a bit of an acquired taste sometimes.” he said, swallowing back his laughter, “Not everyone in here has his entire poetry collection on their shelves, you know.” 

Betty scoffed and folded her arms across her chest, looking decidedly miserable. Jughead chuckled at the sight and reached for her, wrapping her up in his arms, engulfing her in a warm, tight hug. 

“Don’t be upset Babe,” he murmured softly in her ear, “I love the fact that you’re so well read.” 

“I know,” Betty sighed into his chest, her arms slipping around his waist, “And I usually do too, but this time it’s a characteristic that has betrayed me.” 

“Why? Because you don’t know what I want from you yet?” Jughead asked, kissing her neck softly. Betty sighed again and pulled back to look at him. 

“Yes.” 

“I promise it won’t be bad.” Jughead said with a grin. 

“Yeah well, of course you’ll say that. That’s what everyone says.” Betty pointed out. 

He laughed and dipped his head to nuzzle her nose with his before he kissed her slowly and deeply. When they eventually pulled apart they were both breathless and he sighed, dropping his forehead onto hers. 

“I want to read something you’ve written.” he said quietly. Betty pulled back to look at him again, surprised and intrigued by the request. 

“Really?” she giggled, “You want to read something I’ve written? That’s my punishment?” 

“Punishment?” he quirked, “Who said anything about punishment, unless of course, you want -“ 

“No no no, I’ll let you read my work,” Betty said quickly, stopping him before he got any ideas. Jughead laughed in return and kissed her hair softly when he pulled her close again. 

They mingled with some of the other book club members for a while before Betty commented, more to herself than to anyone else, that she felt a little peckish. Not missing a beat, Jughead gave her a lingering kiss and went off to fetch their complimentary snacks and refreshments.

He was just about to pick up a cup of coffee and some doughnuts when he noticed that the guy standing next to him was blatantly staring at Betty, his eyes skimming over her with obvious intent. Jughead glared at the stranger in disbelief and his jealousy shot right through the roof when he saw the guy smirk and grab two cups of coffees, moving to approach Betty with confidence. 

Seriously? Did this moron really miss all of those kisses and hugs? 

Jughead reacted without hesitation, his hand gripping and yanking on the strangers arm harshly. The coffees spilt as a result and the guy cursed under his breath, clearly annoyed, until he turned around and saw the unchecked anger on Jughead’s face. 

“Don’t.” was all Jughead said, the lethal warning clear in his voice. The guy opened his mouth to say something, but ended up swallowing nervously instead. 

“I - what’s your - you spilt my ...” 

“And you were making eyes at my girlfriend, so I strongly suggest you walk away before I do something I haven’t done in a while.” Jughead’s voice was low and even, his eyes dark and piercing - emphasizing every word he spoke. He released the strangers arm then and watched as he practically tripped over his own feet to get to the other side of the room - away from Jughead and more importantly, away from Betty. 

When Jughead returned to his girlfriend with his forage of coffee and doughnuts, she smiled at him crookedly, her green eyes twinkling with with warmth. 

“Finally, I was beginning to think you got lost or something!” Betty teased, happily accepting the doughnut when he gave it to her. 

Jughead smirked at her in response and bit into his own doughnut, silently prompting her to do the same. They stared at each other while they chewed, their eyes happy and jovial, before they both broke out into a fit of giggles and she leaned up to kiss and lick the sugar off corner of his mouth. 

Needless to say, they left The Paperback shortly there after. 

 

They took a cab back to Betty’s, who was once again disappointed that she couldn’t wrapped her arms around Jughead while they zoomed through the city together on the back of his bike, but with winter just around the corner he sadly had no choice but to lock it up in Kevin’s storage unit until Spring. 

Regardless, they spent the entire ride there giggling and teasing each other with a few stolen kisses thrown in for good measure - both of them ignoring the obvious stares and eye rolls their cab driver gave them. 

When the car turned onto Betty’s street, Jughead felt his heart pinch and twist with discomfort, completely aware that they were about to be separated once again. It had been a week since the night of Veronica’s party - since the night he had told her everything - and they had spent almost every second they could spare together. 

For Jughead specifically, it felt amazing not to be weighed down or suffocated by secrets anymore. His heart was full and happy. His head clear and calm and all he could think about, every day and night, was the incredible person sitting beside him and absolutely everything relating to her. 

He held her hand tightly, his thumb slowly drawing circles on her skin. He didn’t want the night to end and he silently hoped that she didn’t either. 

When the cab pulled up to the curb in front of her building, Jughead got out the car with Betty, deciding to spare the cabbie from having to see the intimate goodbye he was about to give her, but once they were on the sidewalk he was surprised when Betty paid the driver and sent him on his merry way. 

When she turned back to him, her green eyes were filled with mischief and her smile was wide and suggestive as she slowly stepped towards him. 

“Stay.” she whispered before he could say anything and he smiled when she pulled him down by the lapels of his jacket and captured his lips with hers. 

 

The apartment was dark and still, a clear sign that Archie and Veronica were most likely asleep, but that little detail barely registered in Betty and Jughead’s minds right now. 

They latched onto each desperately. Their smiling mouths clashing in a flurry of frenzied kisses, their hearts beating frantically while their tongues met and curled together, exploring and tasting each other. They stripped off their coats quickly and stumbled through the darkness in the general direction of Betty’s room, giggling and shushing each other when they got to loud. 

After tripping over themselves and bumping into several pieces of furniture, they finally reached the hallway where Jughead pinned Betty up against the wall, his body pressing against her own, while his lips kissed and sucked along the length of her neck. 

With very little restraint, he sank his teeth into her delicate skin and rolled his hips so that his growing arousal purposefully brushed against her. Betty whimpered at the contact and when she moaned a little too loudly, Jughead quickly brought his lips back up to hers, silencing her with a deep and thorough kiss. 

“You’ve got to be quiet Betts.” he murmured against her mouth, smiling as he slid his hands down her body until he found and gripped the underside of her thighs, hoisting her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist in an instant and her hands clutched at his beanie and his hair when their lips met again, both of them working extra hard to swallow each other’s heady groans and heaving breathing. 

When they reached Betty’s room they couldn’t help but giggle as they fell down onto the bed together and it wasn’t long until they were kissing again. Deeply. Eagerly. Their hands pulling impatiently at each other’s clothes. 

Jughead broke the kiss and tugged his shirt off, tossing it over his shoulder and into the darkness behind him. His hands quickly found the hem of hers, but before he could pull it off as well, he suddenly remembered that the bedroom door was still wide open. 

“One second.” he said, giving her a quick kiss before he practically ran over to the door and closed it as quietly as he could. He kicked off his shoes and when he turned back to the bed he smiled at the alluring sight of his girlfriend waiting for him in nothing but a matching set of lacy underwear. 

He swallowed a little nervously, his body hardening in a rush as he took her in and stepped towards the bed. 

“A little eager are we?” he asked with a smirk. 

“Just a tad,” Betty giggled. Once he was close enough she pulled him down and rolled them quickly so that she was on top, “It has been a week after all.” 

Jughead chuckled as he settled his hands on her hips and she groaned when he pressed her heat firmly against his arousal. She leaned down then and kissed him softly before moving down to the column of his neck, delicately kissing and licking at his skin until she reached the dip of his collarbone. He groaned and his body shivered with pleasure when he felt her hand snake down between them, reaching for his belt. Her slim fingers were just about to unbuckle it, when noises that were not coming from either of them suddenly made her stop. 

“Did you hear -“ But Betty’s question was answered before she could even finish asking it when an array of loud and lusty sounds (thankfully muffled by the thick walls of the apartment) suddenly filled their ears. 

Jughead grimaced, feeling the bile in his pit of his stomach rise up and into his throat. 

“Oh my god is that -“ 

“Archie and Veronica?” Betty finished for him, gasping with laughter against his neck, “I’m sure it is unfortunately.” 

“Ugh that’s disgusting!” Jughead groaned, wishing that he could erase the unexpected and unnecessary memory from his mind forever, especially now that his own moment with Betty had been ruined. 

She giggled at his reaction and started pressing soft kisses to his face, trying to soothe his disgusted frown away. He sighed contently, gladly welcoming the much needed distraction until the unnecessarily loud thumping from the room next door shattered the silence, making him cringe again. 

“I mean seriously Betts, how the hell do you deal with this?” 

“I don’t really ... you sort of get use to it after a while, plus I have earplugs for a reason Jug.” 

He burst out laughing then, unable to stop himself from imagining her lying here all alone, her head buried under her pillow, desperately trying to drown out the awkward sounds of her two best friends having sex. She laughed with him and happily kissed the corner of his smiling mouth. 

When the loud and obtrusive noises eventually died down a few minutes later with a loud and cringeworthy finish, Betty sighed and reluctantly slipped out of bed to find something to wear. 

Wearing a crooked smile, Jughead sat up and watched as she padded around the dimly lit room, unclasping and removing her bra as she went, until she found his discarded t-shirt on the floor and quickly slipped it on. 

“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked curiously. 

“Absolutely nothing,” Betty replied, removing her hair from its ponytail to give it a quick comb, “Why?” 

“Well, I uh - I was wondering ...” he paused to rub the back of his neck nervously, “I’m visiting my sister tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to come with?” 

Betty stopped brushing her hair immediately and looked back at him, clearly surprised. 

“You want me to meet your sister?” she asked, almost in disbelief. Jughead nodded slightly and looked directly at her, his eyes calm and serious - successfully hiding how terrified he actually was. Her reaction which was pretty difficult to make out in the faint light, didn’t help either. 

“I mean, I know it’s a little early to be doing something like this and there’s absolutely no pressure on you to actually do it but -“ 

“Juggie!” Betty said, giggling as she walked over to the bed and sat down beside him again. She squeezed his hand gently and kissed his cheek, nuzzling him with her nose, “I would love to meet you sister.” 

“Really?” he asked, his eyes searching hers carefully, “Its okay if you don’t want to, I mean it’s a pretty big step.” 

Betty smiled at him softly and slowly leaned in, pressing her lips tenderly against his, deepening the kiss when he gave her the opportunity to do so. 

“Big steps. Baby steps - we’ll have to do all of this together at some point, Juggie. Just you and me,“ she murmured breathlessly when they finally pulled apart, “So to answer your question; Yes, I really want to meet your sister.” 

Jughead grinned broadly and pulled back to look at her, taking in her beautiful face and her stunning features, his heart filling with so much adoration that it actually scared him. She really was the most unbelievable person he had ever met and as he leaned in and reconnected their lips in a long, passion filled kiss - he made sure to express that as they tangled themselves up and fell back onto the sheets together. 

~~~

“Juggie will you please calm down,” Betty giggled when he shifted beside her in the back of the cab for what seemed like the millionth time that day, “I’m the one whose supposed to be nervous, remember?” 

“Yeah, I know,” he sighed shakily, “I’m sorry Betts, it’s just that I’ve never done this before so its a little ... new for me.” 

“It’s fine Juggie,” she said, cuddling up to him a little more, “If it helps, I actually am a little nervous.” she whispered in his ear

Jughead chuckled lightly and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. He looked at her with admiration, his lips lifting up softly at the corners. 

“It does,” he said, leaning in to kiss her gently. 

Jughead’s little sister; Jellybean Jones or JB as she strictly preferred to be called - lived with a foster family in a small, but charming townhouse in Brooklyn and standing in front of the slightly aged structure now, Betty’s first thought was that it looked like the kind of place you’d want to grow up in. 

She smiled broadly and looked at Jughead only to see that he was staring down the busy street, looking a little cautious and unsettled. She frowned and was about to ask him that was wrong when a squealing blur of a girl with long black hair suddenly appeared and smashed right into him, swallowing him up in a tight, breathtaking hug. 

Almost immediately, Jughead’s entire demeanor changed. He grunted at the initial impact and then laughed happily as he hugged the girl back. Betty smiled at the scene, realising that the girl was his little sister. 

“Oh my god J, I’m so happy to see you!” Jellybean shrilled ecstatically in his ear. She held onto her brother for a little while longer before her blue eyes took notice of Betty standing nearby. She gasped slightly and broke away from Jughead. 

“What the hell Jug, you said she was pretty not jaw droppingly beautiful!” she scolded, smacking her brother on the arm. 

Betty blushed slightly at the comment and breathed a sigh of relief when the young, raven haired girl - who could only be described as a stunningly beautiful, sixteen year old, female version of her older brother - suddenly engulfed her in a surprisingly strong hug as well. 

“I’m Jellybean or JB preferably and I sincerely apologise for my brother and his inability to describe things properly.” she said with a huge grin on face when she pulled back from the hug. Betty giggled and Jughead groaned, rolling his eyes at the off hand comment. 

“Seriously JB, is there even a difference between ‘pretty’ and ‘beautiful’?”.

“There is actually. There’s a huge difference between the two, big brother.” Jellybean shot back with a playful smirk. 

Betty had to bite back a giggle and a smile as she watched the exchange unfold - already madly in love with their teasing yet endearing dynamic. 

“To be fair he does call me beautiful all the time.” she said in Jughead’s defense, noticing that his fight and patience was starting to wear thin. He smiled at her warmly in return and, unsurprisingly, so did Jellybean. 

“Well then I guess your not a total idiot big brother.” she said before she turned and ascended the steps up to the front door. 

Wearing a massive smile, Betty hurried over to Jughead and quickly took his hand again. 

“Wow, she’s -“ 

“- Just getting started.” Jughead chuckled as they walked up the steps together. 

Once inside the old yet spacious brownstone, Betty was introduced to Jellybean’s foster mother; a friendly, middle aged woman named; Jane and, of course, it wasn’t long until Betty was blushing like a maniac again, this time because she overheard Jane whispering to Jughead that he had found himself a real keeper. 

Once the pleasantries were out of the way and everyone had settled, they all sat down to a hearty and simple lunch of macaroni and cheese and while Jughead and Jellybean spent most of their time talking and teasing one another, Betty mainly spoke to Jane - both of them regaling bits and pieces of their lives to each while Betty also revealed how she and Jughead first met. 

They were about halfway through the scrumptious meal when Betty felt Jughead take her hand under the table, his long fingers threading with her slim ones. The action promoted her to look at him and he winked at her when she did, causing her already pink cheeks to flood with even more heat. Of course, the interaction didn’t go unnoticed by Jellybean, who smirked and shook her head at them. 

“God, you two are so whipped for each other.” 

After lunch, Betty offered to help Jellybean wash up the dishes and after spending about ten minutes in the young girls presence, just talking to her or rather listening, she decided, without a doubt, that she absolutely adored Jughead’s sassy baby sister. 

She found it astounding that, despite the obvious hardships she had suffered through in her life, Jellybean Jones had still managed to retain her spunk and her untamed zest for life. It was infectious and Betty loved every, single second it.

“I gotta say, I’m really happy J’s found you,” Jellybean said as she dried off the last plate, “Life hasn’t always been terribly kind to him, you know.” 

“Thank you and I know exactly what you mean,” Betty said softly, “Especially after all that business with the Serpents.” 

Jellybean almost lost her grip on the plate she was holding and her jaw practically dropped to the floor. 

“He told you about the Serpents?” she gasped, stunned and shocked by the unexpected revelation. Betty nodded her head slowly. 

“Is that bad?” 

“No, not at all!” Jellybean shook her head, completely awestruck, “It’s incredible Betty! I mean, he’s never told anyone - not even me - about his damn time with the Serpents.” 

Betty’s eyes widened at that. Was she really the only person Jughead had opened up to about the Serpents? The thought alone was a little dizzying to think about, but also very understandable. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to keep his sister as far away as possible from Serpent life and any details relating to it. 

“He must really care about you - I mean really, really care about you,” Jellybean muttered. She paused and looked at Betty quickly, “Sorry, I know your relationship is still pretty new, it’s just that I’ve never seen my brother like this before.” she admitted with a sheepish smile. 

“That’s alright.” Betty smiled back, trying really hard not to read into what Jellybean had just said, “Truthfully, I care about your brother a lot, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he cared about me just as much.” 

Jellybean finished packing away the last of the plates and smiled at Betty when she turned around. 

“Well I know my brother and he never does anything halfway, so honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised either Betty.” 

 

Their stay stretched way into the late afternoon, both of them spending that time in Jellybean’s room listening to to the young girls impressive vinyl collection while she educated them on the difference between vinyl and CDs - weighing out the pros and cons of both for them. Jughead just smiled and stared at Betty the whole time - silently communicating with her through subtle glances and gestures. The whole experience was lazy, calm and strangely perfect - a word Betty never used to describe anything. 

Needless to say, when the time finally came for her and Jughead to leave, Jellybean was just about ready to tie Betty to a chair in an effort to stop her from going anywhere and while Betty was happy to oblige, Jughead convinced both her and his overzealous sister to settle for a long, smothering hug instead. 

“Promise me you guys will visit again soon.” Jellybean begged as she pulled her brother in for another hug. Jughead sighed and looked over her shoulder, his lips pulling into a grin at the promising look Betty gave him. 

“I promise we will.” he said, giving his sister one last squeeze. He gave Jane a long hug as well and for a moment Betty thought that the three of them, with their black hair and wide, goofy smiles - looked like a family, until she remembered that they sadly weren’t. 

Still, it was a nice enough concept and Jughead thought so too when she told him. 

 

Unsurprisingly, Betty asked Jughead to stay with her again and later on that night when they were curled up in her bed, stewing in a comfortable silence together, it suddenly dawned on her that she never wanted to sleep any other way again. She wanted to be pressed up against him, her head resting on his bare chest while his arms wrapped her up securely. She wanted to wake up to his lazy smiles and groggy ‘good mornings’ every morning. 

Her mind wandered back then, to the morning after their very first kiss, remembering how she had considered whether or not she could ever have what her friends have with their respective partners - and she smiled now, because she realised that she did. 

Her relationship with Jughead was everything she could’ve hoped for and more. It checked every proverbial box she had and while she knew that it wouldn’t always be this carefree or easy, it really made her appreciate what it means to be in a real relationship. Everything between them was fun and honest, their moments emotional and intimate. 

Nothing she had ever experienced before with anyone even came close to what she had with him. 

Spurred on by her thoughts, she slowly started to skim her hand over his chest and down his torso, her finger tips feeling very dip and ridge of his subtlety defined muscles. She bit her lip when she felt them twitch and coil slightly under her light touch. Emboldened, she moved them even lower, brushing dangerously close to to the waistline of his boxers when Jughead’s hand suddenly covered hers, ceasing her movements. 

She glanced up at him and saw the questioning look on his face, his eyes dark and tainted with desire. 

“What are you doing?” he breathed, shifting himself beside her. 

But Betty didn’t answer him. Instead she draped her leg over his a little more, the action allowing her to quickly figure out exactly what the source of his discomfort was. She smiled slyly against his chest, determined this time to repay the favour. 

She gently pulled her hand away from his and without much warning slipped it further down and into his boxers, making him jolt slightly in response. 

“Betty -“ he gasped, the air in his throat hitching when her fingers found and wrapped around him. 

“Let me do this Juggie ...” she pleaded, moving her hand on him a little. He was big and smooth and warm in her hand and she heard him groan deeply at the sensation her slight movements created. She looked up at him then and he caved in immediately with nod. 

She moved her hand cautiously at first, mostly because it had been a while since she had done this (her last boyfriend hadn’t been to keen on it) and because she wasn’t entirely sure what he liked just yet. She kissed his skin tentatively, gently sucking delicate marks into the dip of his collarbone while her ears listened to the sounds of his ragged breathing. 

With his one hand tangled in her hair, she heard Jughead groan loudly into surrounding darkness, her name falling from his lips in incoherent mumbles. He exhaled through gritted teeth as she quickly found a rhythm that worked for him, moving her hand up and down consistently while her thumb twirled over his tip, gathering up the moisture she found there. 

She worked him for a bit longer before she finally felt his body stiffen and jerk, a low guttural moan falling from his mouth as he came - the hot, silky liquid spilling out over her hand. 

Jughead was still panting heavily beside her when he slowly untangled his fingers from her hair and reached over to grab the tissues that were next to her bed and she blushed madly when he handed them to her. 

Once she had cleaned herself up and thrown the tissues away, she settled back down beside him, his rapidly beating heart pounding in her ear. 

“Was that okay?” she eventually asked, feeling her minor insecurities surface when he didn’t say anything for a while. 

“Okay? Jesus Betty that was more than just okay,” he sighed happily, cocooning her his warm embrace once again, “We definitely should’ve done that sooner.” 

She grinned broadly, her stomach tightening at the mere thought of them doing that again or maybe doing something more one day, and she sighed as she leaned up to kiss him softly. 

“Don’t worry Juggie ... Something tells me we’ve got plenty of time.” she murmured against his lips, before she kissed him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated! Xxx


	10. The Warning and Three Simple Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something big is about to happen ... 
> 
> Warning: Fluffy and smutty Bughead coming your way once again ... ;) 
> 
> Enjoy Xx

Early mornings spent working at The Paperback were always painfully slow. 

In the past, that would’ve bothered Jughead immensely - the idea of being both bored and idle having never sat well with him - but today it didn’t bother him in the slightest. 

He smirked from his place behind the counter and watched as Betty unloaded a box of freshly published books, her brow scrunched up adorably as she focused all of her attention on trying to tastefully arrange them on the massive display table in the middle of the store. 

He rolled his eyes with amusement and chuckled to himself as she placed and then quickly re-placed a book, thinking that she was working far to hard given the early hour of the morning. He stood up and slowly approached her with a sudden urge to change that. 

“What are you doing?” he breathed against the shell of her ear. Betty smiled and stopped moving the second she heard his voice and felt him wrap his arms around her from behind, his tall frame effortlessly cuddling hers. 

“What does it look like I’m doing?” she sighed, tilting her head to the side when he started to press soft, open mouthed kisses along the slope of her neck. He slipped his hand under her sweater then, his fingers brushing gently over her skin and her breath hitched in her throat when he undid the button of her jeans dipped them in slightly, not quite touching but teasing the skin there. Betty shivered with uncapped delight and her one hand dropped to his wrist, clutching at it tightly. Not to pulled it away, but to keep it there. 

“It looks like you’re working way too hard considering how early it is.” Jughead murmured into the base of her neck. He nipped teasingly at her skin for a moment before he bit down and sucked intently, his warm tongue immediately soothing the mark he left behind. 

“Juggie ...” 

Betty’s head fell back against his shoulder, her other hand reaching up to slide around his neck and grip his hair. She closed her eyes and turned her head, blindly searching for his lips and she whimpered softly when he settled them eagerly over hers. 

Pulling his hand out of her jeans rather reluctantly - she quickly turned in his arms and found his lips again, kissing him soundly for a moment before she pulled back with a sigh. 

“And I suppose this is you attempting to distract me?” 

“Attempting?” he smirked, pulling her flush against him, his hands gripping her hips firmly, “I’m pretty sure that I am successfully distracting you right now.” 

Jughead smiled at her playfully and Betty giggled when he hoisted her up and sat her down on the display table, leaning in to skim his lips softly along the distinct line of her jaw, nipping as he went. 

“And I’m pretty sure that we are in a public place with a very public view.” she said, trying to reason with him even as her own hands travelled over his back, pulling him closer to her. 

Jughead hummed softly against her ear before he pulled back with a sigh of his own and kissed her again. 

“You know, I realised this morning that we haven’t been a proper date yet.” he said, bringing a hand up to caress her cheek gently. Betty smiled. 

“And that bothers you does it?” she quirked, reaching up to straighten his beanie a little. She bit back a giggle when she saw how serious he was being.

“It does.” 

“Jughead, watching movies on my couch, going to book club meetings and snuggling up in bed are all equivalent to going on dates for me.” She smiled up at him lovingly and brushed back that stubborn curl of his, “I’m a simple girl Juggie, I don’t need you to do anything fancy.” 

“I know you don’t, but I still want to do something for you,” he said earnestly, “Like, I don’t know - cook you dinner or something like that.” 

“Now that’s a thought,” Betty smiled coyly, “There’s nothing sexier than a man who can cook.” 

“Oh yeah?” Jughead asked in a low, husky voice, his arms tightening around her a little more. 

“Mmhmm,” she sighed, slipping her arms around his neck, “Can you cook?” 

“Maybe ... I think I’ll let you be the judge of that,” he teased, “Your place, Friday night at eight?” 

Betty grinned broadly and leaned in, giving him a slow, wet kiss. 

“It’s a date.” 

 

Jughead spent a good chunk of the the morning helping Betty set up the rest of the book displays around the store. He was actually glad to have the distraction even though said distraction put him within touching distance of the very thing he needed to be distracted from. 

It felt like it had been a week since they had visited JB, when in reality, it had only been a few days. Even so the events of that day and, more specifically, that night still filtered through his mind on a near constant loop, reminding him of how incredible it had been. 

Now, he was painfully aware of every touch that passed between them and every damn sexy glance she threw in his direction - every interaction making him dizzy and frying his brain. 

Everything she did stunned him completely and his heart couldn’t help but swell with something very foreign to him. He knew now, that he couldn’t be without her and even though he didn’t exactly know what that meant, he was desperate to find out. 

While whistling a happy tune to himself, Jughead was busy carrying through the last box of books when he heard voices drifting past the sagging shelves from the front of the store. He listened for a moment and when his ears picked up on the unmistakable sound of Betty’s voice, he figured that she was just talking to some random, nosy customer until he rounded the corner and saw exactly who it was. 

He froze in disbelief and before he even knew what he was doing, the box suddenly dropped to the floor with a audibly loud thud that echoed around the large store, capturing both Betty’s attention and the attention of the pink haired girl she was talking to. 

His disbelief turned into anger, but he swallowed it back before it could take shape and he barely heard the girl thank Betty for the book before she caught his eye as she left the store. He clenched his hands into tight fists, his heart hammering furiously against his chest. 

Fuck! What the hell is she doing here? 

“Jug?” he heard Betty say then, not missing the obvious concern lacing her voice. He blinked a few times and looked at her, his shocked expression and ferocious nature disappearing in an instant. 

“I uh ... I’m sorry,” he sighed and then chuckled lightly, his recovery coming remarkably quick, “Guess I have butter fingers today.” 

 

For the next hour, Jughead wouldn’t be ignorant and pretend not to notice the curious glances Betty kept giving him. He guessed that she was probably trying to piece together what she had witnessed earlier this morning and he really couldn’t blame her given his odd reaction. 

He did feign ignorance towards something else though. Because unlike Betty, Jughead had spent the last sixty minutes of his life doing absolutely everything in his power to avoid thinking about the encounter from this morning. An immensely difficult task at times. 

However by the time their lunch break arrived, he was beyond relieved when the dust settled around him and Betty finally allowed herself to melt back into their playful daily routine - having accepted that the encounter meant absolutely nothing. 

With the universe graciously back to normal, he offered, like he always did, to get them some sandwiches from a local deli down the street. 

“Just ask them to leave the tomato off mine.” Betty mumbled against his lips, when he finally broke the lingering kiss he gave her. 

“You’ve got it Betts.” he said, giving her one more kiss before he winked at her and left the store. 

Feeling decidedly lighthearted, but still a little cautious, Jughead bought the sandwiches and some soda’s for them as well and just as he was about to make the short journey back to The Paperback, he sighed internally and grimaced when he spotted a familiar head of pink highlighted hair waiting for him outside the deli. 

“Christ Toni, what the hell are you doing here?” he all but growled when he approached her on the sidewalk a few seconds later. 

“It’s nice to see you too, Jones.” his old friend Toni Topaz said with her own, annoying signature smirk, her arms folded across her chest. He narrowed his eyes at her nonchalant behavior.

“I’m serious Toni, if anyone sees you with me they’ll -“ 

“- Slice my tattoo and make me an outcast? I think you’ve forgotten that I don’t actually give a damn.” 

“Well I do!” Jughead snapped, “You saw what they did to me Toni! Do you honestly think I’d be okay if that ever happened to you because of me?” 

“Jesus Jones, you really do worry to much,” Toni chuckled, waving a hand at his concern dismissively, “Nice to know some things never change.” 

Jughead closed his eyes and exhaled heavily through his nose. God, he’d forgotten how annoying she could be sometimes. Slowly regaining control of himself, he opened his eyes again and looked at her pointedly. 

“Why are you here?” he asked, his tone slightly clipped. 

“You visited JB recently” 

Jughead sighed and rubbed his forehead harshly. He could tell by the glaring look in Toni’s dark brown eyes that it wasn’t a question, it was a statement. One he knew was coming. 

“Yeah and?”

“Seriously Jones? Our deal was that you would say something to us before you came anywhere near the Serpents territory! I had to find out from Sweet Pea and Fangs that you were there, what the hell were you thinking?” 

Jughead dropped his eyes to the ground despondently. Despite the anger in Toni’s voice, he could also hear how worried she was and it only made him feel ten times worse. He knew that deep down she was only trying to protect him - that all three of his old, close friends were just trying to protect him. After all, they had vowed to always be there for each other no matter what. 

“Look,” Toni sighed after a moment, “I normally wouldn’t bother you about visiting your sister, but seeing as you weren’t alone this time, I thought I should mention that Miguel was lurking around Jellybean’s neighborhood while you were there ...” 

Jughead snapped his up head immediately, his eyes widening with fear as he stared at his anxious looking friend. He swallowed around the large lump in his throat, trying to ignore the painful way his heart clenched in his chest at the news. 

“Did - did he see -“ 

“- Did he see you and your new squeeze?” Toni finished for him, “I have no idea. Sweet Pea and Fangs decided to keep tabs on the two of you the minute they spotted you guys - but it’s big city Jug - they could’ve missed something.” 

“So let me get this straight, you’re here to tell me that that sick asshole might know about Betty?” Jughead said quietly and through gritted teeth, his eyes swimming with pure anger and terror. 

Honestly, he couldn’t give a damn about himself, but his girlfriend ... now that was a completely different story. 

“Pea and Fangs insist that they didn’t see anything to actually confirm that - but they definitely saw Miguel in the area while you two were there.” she eyed him nervously, “I think he’s been waiting for you to visit your sister again, maybe hoping to get the jump on you or something ...” 

Jughead pressed his lips together in a hard, flat line, his mind reeling from all the sickening thoughts that were suddenly speeding through his brain at a mile a minute. God, he had been such an idiot to take Betty right into the Serpents stomping ground and not tell Toni that he was coming. He was well aware that there was a risk in going to visit JB, but for the most part his excursions into Brooklyn had gone completely unnoticed - until now. 

Now, he felt a sharp pin prick of panic pierce his heart, making it hard for him to breathe and think about anything else except keeping Betty safe. 

“I’ll have Sweet Pea sit on you for a couple of weeks -“ 

“Jesus Christ Toni, forget about me!” Jughead seethed, “It’s Betty I’m fucking worried about!” 

And he had every right to be worried, Toni could tell intuitively, that he really cared about that blonde haired girl from the bookstore, which is why his anger back there and right here didn’t surprise her in the slightest

“Should I have him sit on her then?” 

Jughead considered the suggestion for a moment, but he eventually sighed and shook his head, refusing the offer much to Toni’s Surprise. 

“We don’t even know if he actually saw us and I don’t want to give that moron a reason to suspect anything or to go after any of you.” 

“Once again, you seem to forget that we don’t give a damn!” Toni reminded him heatedly, “We’ve always been on your side Jones and we always will be! This is what friends do, so get your head out of your ass and let us help you!” 

Jughead gritted his teeth and sighed with frustration. He eyed his old childhood friend somberly for a moment before his lips finally pulled into a small smile. Her steely eyed determination reminded him of a certain blonde he knew, who simply wouldn’t take no for an answer either. He knew that it was pointless to refuse Toni, because she’d just do it anyway. 

“Just -“ he sighed in defeat, “Just make it discreet okay, I don’t want to scare her.” 

“Of course,” Toni said, smirking a little too smugly, “Or have you forgotten how good we are?” 

Jughead chuckled lightly and smirked back just as arrogantly. 

He hadn’t forgotten. Not in the slightest. 

~~~

Betty sighed and smiled contently as she listened to Kevin and Veronica bicker harmlessly about the raven haired beauty’s decision to possibly get her hair dyed. 

“Ronnie sweetie, one of the many things I love about you - apart from your charm and your wit - is that gorgeous head of black hair you have,” Kevin stated, “Please don’t ruin that!” 

“Oh come on Kev,” Veronica laughed, “I’m not going to dye the whole thing, I just want to get some highlights.” 

“And I’m just telling you that the natural look is much better,” he persisted, “I mean look at Betty. She’s as natural as they come and she’s absolutely stunning!” 

The argument went back and forth for a while and the only contribution Betty really made was the occasional light chuckle or smile. 

It was late on Friday afternoon and as promised, Betty had stayed far away from her apartment while Jughead prepared everything for their first date tonight. She would be lying if she said that she wasn’t bursting with excitement especially since Jughead had spent the entire week teasing her with what she could possibly expect to happen. 

Truthfully, she had never been much of a big date kind of person, but the idea of Jughead cooking dinner for her made her feel all warm inside and reconsider that. 

Kevin and Veronica had graciously kept her company since work had ended a couple hours ago and after whisking her off to Kevin’s apartment, they had helped her into her outfit for the evening - a very simple, thin strapped, black cocktail dress that ended mid thigh and that both of her friends agreed looked incredible on her. 

Of course they had tried to probe her for details, but all she could do was smile and shrug in response, because technically she knew about as much as them at this point. She had some expectations though and she hoped that most of them would be met by the end of the night. 

When it was twenty to eight Kevin drove Betty over to the apartment while Veronica put some last minute touches on her hair, which was down and straight for once. 

“B, you look so amazing!” Veronica squealed while Kevin helped her into her coat, “Now go blow Jughead’s mind!” 

Betty blushed and winked at her two best friends before she turned and went inside. 

*

When Jughead opened the door a few minutes later, Betty smiled at the sight of him, beanie-less - in a dark blue jersey with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, black jeans and smart black leather shoes. A huge contrast to his usual laid back appearance. 

But she barely had a chance to really appreciate it before his arms were around her and his lips were on hers, kissing her in a slow, desperate and passionate kind of way - the simple action filling her heart with the promise of things to come. 

“You look astonishing, Betty.” he breathed, dropping his head to rest his forehead against hers. Betty smiled bashfully and fiddled with the soft material of his jersey. 

“But you haven’t even seen my dress yet, Jug.” 

He chuckled lightly and kissed her again, nuzzling her nose with his as he did. 

“Betts, you could wear a garbage bag and you’d still be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” he admitted honestly, the compliment making her blush a ridiculous shade of red as he swiftly pulled her into the apartment and closed the door. 

If Betty wasn’t already blown away by the array of candles scattered around the apartment or the simple, yet beautiful way he’d set the table for their very first date together, she would definitely be impressed with the meal he had tirelessly prepared for her. 

A chorizo and rosemary pearl barely risotto for the main course with vanilla panne cotta’s and raspberry coulis for dessert. Every single mouthful was delicious and unforgettably good and whenever she moaned softly at the tantalizing taste, she noticed that his blue eyes would darken a little more with want. 

“Okay you have to tell me,” Betty said after swallowing her final mouthful of the creamy, but light Italian dessert, “Who taught you how to cook?” 

“Jane,” he said with a crooked smile, “She taught me everything I know.” 

“Well, just remind me to thank her when we see her again.” Betty scooped up some of the left over coulis still on her plate, savoring the sweet, yet tart flavour in her mouth when she ate it. 

“So I take it you’re impressed.” Jughead smirked, his eyes watching as she slowly removed the spoon from her mouth. 

“Oh yes,” Betty smiled, setting her spoon down, “You have no idea how sexy you are right now.” 

Jughead grinned at her from across the table as if he did know and when he stood up to clear away their plates, he leaned down and captured her lips with his, giving her a slow, wet and thorough kiss that left her wanting more ... a lot more. 

When he disappeared into the kitchen again, Betty smiled to herself and reached down to remove her heels, the action setting her well thought out plan in motion. Almost every expectation she had dreamt up for tonight had become a reality - now she needed to make the last few happen as well. 

Being as quiet as possible she quickly padded down the hallway towards her room, unzipping her dress as she went. When she heard Jughead call her from the lounge minutes later, she bit her lip and yelled back, telling him exactly where to find her. 

When he entered her room a few seconds later, he almost stumbled at the sight of her wearing the brand new set of black lacy lingerie Veronica had given to her especially for tonight. She watched him swallow thickly and his eyes raked over her body with lustful intent as she slowly stepped towards him. 

“Jesus Betty ...” he rasped when she stopped right in front of him, her almost naked body purposely brushing against his. 

She smiled up at him coyly and smoothed her hands over his toned chest and torso, her fingers easily finding the hem of his sweater. She pulled it over his head and tossed it aside before she leaned forward and pressed soft kisses across his chest. 

“I don’t want to wait anymore, Jug.” she whispered against his skin and she felt his body shiver in response. He moved then, placing one hand on her bare hip while the other moved to her jaw, lifting her lips back up to his. 

When he kissed her, he kissed her with everything he had coursing through him in that moment. It was passionate, but also innocent and pure and when they finally pulled apart they were both breathless and shaking with raw anticipation. 

“Are you sure?” he asked her quietly, while his hand skimmed up her back and toyed with the clip of her bra. 

“I want this Juggie,” she replied, sliding her hands over his back, “I want you.” 

Jughead groaned softly at the heady plea and dipped his head to kiss her again, his tongue delving into her mouth to twist languidly with hers and Betty whimpered softly when his nimble fingers unclasped her bra. He removed the lacy garment with ease and gently guided her backwards towards the bed, kicking his shoes off as they went. 

When Betty came into contact with the edge of the bed, she reluctantly broke the kiss and slowly sank down onto the soft mattress, beckoning him to follow after her. He obeyed without question and pressed his knees into the mattress, moving until he was on top of her, his wanton lips finding and sucking at the supple skin of her neck. 

“You’re so beautiful Betts ... so, so beautiful.” he murmured against her throat, his warm breath against her over heated skin making her whimper and pull him even closer to her. He moved a hand up and gently tweaked and rolled a nipple with his fingers, causing her to softly cry out with pleasure against his ear. She nudged his face then, seeking his lips once again and he gladly gave them to her, kissing her as deeply and as eagerly as before. 

A new kind of desperation suddenly gripped the two of them and it wasn’t long until they were frantically pulling at and removing the rest of their clothes, throwing them aside as if they were offensive to look at. When he pulled out the only condom he had in his wallet, Betty shook her head and told him he didn’t have to use it because she was on the pill. Needless to say she laughed hysterically when he immediately tossed it away. 

Both naked and completely vulnerable now, they settled back down into their previous position, chests heaving - hearts pumping frantically and in time with one another’s. She could feel his member, heavy, hard and hot, against the inside of her thigh and the ache she felt between her legs only coiled and intensified even more. 

“Are you nervous?” he asked, almost as if he had read her mind and she nodded, wanting to be honest with him, “I am too” he whispered, kissing her so carefully then that any anxiety she had melted away by the time they pulled apart. 

“I’m ready Juggie,” she said, sliding her one hand into his hair, gripping it lightly. 

Jughead nodded and exhaled shakily before he kissed her again, adjusting his body so that he was aligned with her aching center. 

Betty gasped against his lips when she felt him sink in, slowly - inch by inch until he was completely buried in her warmth. He groaned deeply at the tight feel of her surrounding him and buried his face into the crook of her neck, both of them trembling with want. He didn’t move though, allowing her time to stretch and adjust to his size first. 

When he eventually pulled back to look at her, his eyes twinkled with a silent question and she nodded her head immediately, giving him permission to start moving. 

With his lips pressed to her neck once again, he slowly started to roll his hips, keeping his rhythm easy and patient to begin with and it wasn’t long Betty found herself panting and moaning both sensually and desperately against his ear, her body arching off the bed as she relished in the unbelievable feeling that coursed through her body, created by his deep and even thrusts. 

Her hand tightened in his hair as a result while the other came to rest of his hip, lifting and rolling her own to meet with his and after long minutes of these slow and sensual movements, he picked up the pace, his thrusts becoming choppy and desperate, and she cried out into the darkness when his teeth grazed, bit and nipped at her skin - her sounds of fulfillment mixing with his own shallow groans of pleasure, tickling against her flesh. 

She knew then that he wasn’t going to last much longer and, truthfully, neither was she. 

“God, Jughead I’m -“ but her words were swallowed in the back of her throat when he suddenly kissed her, his tongue tangling strongly with hers, exploring and tasting every inch of her mouth. 

Her stomach tightened then and the heat that had building up inside of her suddenly erupted, spreading through her entire body as she shattered beneath him, her cries of bliss and ecstasy muffled by his lips as he jerked and stiffened above her as well, groaning deeply into her mouth through his own release. 

He collapsed on top of her, breathing harshly against neck, completely spent. She wrapped herself around him and he sighed when she pressed her lips weakly against the flushed and sweaty skin on his cheek. She ran her fingers gently through his damp hair, trying to regain control over her own breathing and rapidly beating heart. 

They stewed in a calm silence for a moment, both encapsulated in each other warmth until Jughead lifted his head to look at her, his eyes shining with something she had only seen a handful of times. 

“I love you,” he said quietly, “I love you so much Betty Cooper.” 

Her heart swelled and stuttered at the simple, yet beautiful confession, her eyes filling with tears as she gazed up at him in wonder. She brought his head back down and kissed him with everything she had now too, pouring her heart and soul into it before she said, without a single doubt passing through her mind; 

“Jughead Jones, I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated!! 
> 
> And thank you for all the love so far!! Xx


	11. Pure Happiness and Past Regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is basically a filler with a lot of fluff and smut. Enjoy Xxx

For most of his life, Jughead Jones had always wanted to know what it would be like when it finally happened to him. 

Love was a well known phenomenon to him, one he had read and heard about enough to know what it should feel like when you experience it for the first time, but a part of him always wondered what it would be like when he finally found someone who made him feel so much love and affection that he would be compelled to act - to confess all of these feelings and to hand his heart over to someone else entirely. 

Now he knew. After all this time he finally knew. 

From the very first day they had met in The Paperback - their eyes locked solely on each other - Jughead knew, deep down in pit of his stomach, that there was something truly remarkable and special about Betty Cooper, and the incredible connection they had forged within days of meeting each other only solidified that thought. 

Even now as he watched her sleep, engulfed in the early morning light trickling past her curtains, listening to her evenly slow and soft breathing churn and break up the silence, he could barely contain the emotions coursing through him - completely overwhelmed by their strength. 

He loved her. With every fiber in his body, he loved every inch of her and what’s more; she loved him back. He stared down at her, his heart completely awestruck, still unable to believe that this gorgeous creature lying beside him actually loved him. 

She stirred then, mumbling softly to herself as she gingerly opened and then closed her sleep ladened eyes. He smiled at the adorable sight and brushed the wayward strands of blonde hair off her face before he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers. 

“Mmmm ... g’morning.” she said, stretching out her limbs with a long, content sigh, the warmth of her still naked body only temporarily leaving his. She opened her eyes properly then and Jughead gasped under his breath, immediately thrown and entranced by the staggering shade of green. 

Everything about her was beautifully heightened to him now. Her warmth. Her beauty. Her smell. Her touch. Her taste - and he was certain that he would never ever get enough of it. 

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, his eyes filled with mirth as he caressed her cheek gently with his thumb. 

“Like the dead. I can’t remember the last time I slept that well.” 

Betty smiled up at him with lazy satisfaction and Jughead couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face when he noticed the faint blush creeping up her cheeks. 

Even after everything they had done now, he found her shyness amusingly ridiculous and oddly sexy. 

“It’s kind of sexy how adorably shy you can be sometimes.” 

“Jug, please,” Betty scoffed, “In what world is being shy actually sexy?.” she looked away meekly and he chuckled, gently turning her face back to his.

“In my world actually.” he said huskily, leaning in to try and kiss her on the lips only to get a cheek. 

“I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.” she explained with a giggle. He smirked at her and shrugged, taking her mouth in a surprisingly deep and heavy kiss anyway.

When they eventually pulled apart a couple of minutes later, Jughead settled himself over her a little more and Betty giggled, reaching up to try and brush back the unruly strands of messy hair out of his eyes. Her efforts were in vain though, and both of them burst out laughing when it simply flopped right back into place again. 

“It’s pointless I’m afraid, I’ll need a good shower before we can even try to tame it.”

Betty grinned at him and ran her fingers through the soft curls again anyway, sliding her hand around to the back of his head before moving it down to his neck where it finally settled, warming his bare skin. 

“So let’s take a shower then.” 

His eyes darkened when he noticed the coy and suggestive look she gave him and the loud squeals and furious giggles that tumbled from her lips when he hauled her off the bed and carried her through to the bathroom, made his heart burst with something he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

Pure happiness. 

 

Even Jughead had to admit that the guest bathroom, much like the rest of the apartment, was quite impressive to look at. Obnoxious and completely over the top, but still magnificent. 

Of course, the sight of his beautiful girlfriend turning on the taps in the oversized shower, completely naked before his eyes, only added to the rooms aesthetic and charm.

She kept touching him while they waited for the water to settle on their desired temperature and minutes that should’ve been short ended up feeling like hours, especially when he attuned himself to subtle way she glided her fingers over his skin; moving them over his back, his side, his ribs and finally his torso - tracing aimless patterns where ever they went. 

It was driving him completely nuts and the sultry look she gave through her long eyelashes told him that she knew what she was doing to him. He smirked back at her and slowly slid his hand over the expanse of her back until he found and squeezed her ass softly. She gasped and when he pulled her up against him, the alluring smile she wore along with her nails raking over his lower abdomen, made his entire body react. 

God, she was sexy. 

 

As expected, the shower wasn’t exactly used for the standard purpose of cleaning. 

Sure, Jughead had lathered up his hands with her vanilla scented soap and had rubbed them over her wet skin and stunning curves with every intention of “washing” her, but these simple and rather innocent actions quickly turned into something more sensual. 

It wasn’t long until she was leaning against him, her breaths coming out in soft moans and gasps, drowned out by the intrusive sound of the running water, and her quivering lips barely managed to find the wet skin on his neck before he slowly dipped his fingers into her slick folds, gently and deliberately circling her clit. He pressed kisses of his own against the base of her neck while his free hand reached up to softly palm her breast, her nipple pebbling almost immediately at his touch. 

He nuzzled her face with his then, begging for her lips like she had the night before and when she eagerly connected them, a desperate and almost strangled whimper escaped from her throat as he sank one finger and then two into her throbbing heat. 

Betty was a panting, squirming mess within a matter of minutes. 

She came down slowly and once she managed to regain some control the very first thing she wanted to do was return the favour, her fingers finding his hard member in an instant, but Jughead was a simple man with very simple needs, preferring to be inside of her above anything else. 

He had her up against the cold tiles in record time with her legs wrapped around his waist and her fingers tangled up in his thick, water soaked hair. Seconds later he was completely buried inside her, thrusting into her, rolling his hips again and again and again for what like an eternity, their connection raw, primal and desperate, before he finally stiffen and groaned deeply against her neck, his teeth marring her pale skin as she cried out against the shell of his ear, both of them shaking as they rode out their releases together.

Needless to say, when they eventually left the shower a good hour later, both throughly satisfied and squeaky clean, they were blushing as red as lobsters when they discovered both Archie and Veronica standing out in the hallway with knowing smiles plastered all over their faces. They knew exactly what had happened in that bathroom. 

After muttering awkward ‘Hello’s”, Betty and Jughead made a beeline for her room where she suggested they hunker down for the rest of the day with the door locked. Jughead thought it was a brilliant idea, 1) because he would obviously be with her and 2) because it meant that they could successfully avoid the tsunami of questions Archie and Veronica undoubtedly had for them.

Of the two of them, Betty was the only one who was actually brave enough to face the vultures in order to fetch the things they needed for their day in bed. When she left the room dressed only in Jughead’s dark blue sweater that barely reached the middle of her thighs, he had to choke back his laughter when she returned a few moments later with Veronica hot on her heels, trying to bombard her with questions. 

“Please B, just give me something ... anything!” he heard Veronica whisper desperately only for Betty to smile and silently close the door on her astonished best friend, locking it immediately. 

“Aww come on B!” Veronica whined, “You and you’re lover can’t hide in there forever!” 

Betty giggled and walked back over to the bed where he sat waiting for her, wearing his pair of black jeans. She dumped their provisions for the day on the duvet and he looked over the spread of sweet and salty snacks with a crooked smile before he shifted his eyes back to her, watching as she booted up her laptop to find something for them to watch. 

“Funny Face or Rebel Without a Cause?” she asked, peering up from her laptop to look at him curiously. 

“You pick.” he honestly didn’t mind either choice, but he was intrigued to find out which one she would prefer. 

He watched her think about it for a moment, restraining himself from reaching over to soothe her adorable frown lines, before she finally spoke. 

“Rebel Without a Cause maybe?” 

Unable to help himself, Jughead flashed her his rare, but genuine toothy grin and leaned in to kiss her soundly on the lips. 

“God, I love you.” he mumbled against her smiling mouth, kissing her again. 

“Mmmm ... that’s definitely one of my favourite memories from last night.” Betty sighed, tilting her head to the side when he started to kiss the skin beneath the hinge of her jaw. 

“Oh yeah?” Jughead grinned. He moved forward slightly, prompting her to lie down, “What else did you like?” 

His hands found the hem of his jersey and he pulled it up until her breasts were exposed. Practically salivating at the sight, he took a nipple in his mouth and sucked the soft skin he found attentively, causing her to gasp and arch off the bed, her breathy moans a clear sign that she wanted more. He felt her hands slip into his hair and smiled. 

“What else Betts?” he repeated the question, slowly trailing his tongue along the crease of her breast. 

“God Juggie ... I loved everything.” she breathed desperately. He smiled against her over heated skin and kissed the underside of her breast before he moved up her body, settling himself over her again. 

Supported on his elbows he gazed down at her deeply, fondly - his blue eyes mimicking the same look he had given her the night before and she squirmed beneath him, unable to handle the way he looked at her or rough feel of his jeans brushing against her already sensitive core. 

“Well my favourite part - aside from the obvious - was when you said it back.” 

She smiled, her green eyes shining with said love, and brought his lips back down to hers, giving him slow and soft kiss which neither of them wanted to end, both of them gently chasing after each other’s mouths to keep it going. 

“This is crazy,” Betty sighed when she had the chance, “A little more than a month ago we didn’t even know each other and yet here we are now, exchanging ‘I love you’s’.” 

“I know,” Jughead chuckled, nuzzling her nose with his before he kissed her again, “I really should thank Kevin for giving me that job ...” 

“We both should ...” Betty agreed with a sexy smile. She reached between them to undo the button on his jeans and his throat tightened when she tortuously palmed him through the painfully restraining material. Her slim fingers pulled the zipper down next and his eyes darkened with want before he eagerly helped her with the rest. 

It was a long while until they finally got around to watching that movie. 

*

Having sex wasn’t a new experience for Jughead. To be honest, he wasn’t exactly an expert on the subject, but he certainly knew the gist of things, having been around the block once or twice in his life. 

But having sex with Betty Cooper - with someone he actually loved - was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Every moment they spent together felt completely new to him and he honestly couldn’t compare to anything else. 

He remembered being told that once you have sex with someone that’s all the two of you will want to do for a while, but he hadn’t found that to be true ... until now. 

It actually horrified him a little bit, how much he craved it, given that he had never been the type of guy to chase after sex - but he just couldn’t help himself when it came to her and it seems she couldn’t either when it came to him. 

A week passed in a dreamy, love filled haze, one that temporarily blinded Jughead to everything that was going on around him, including his and Toni’s decision to have Sweet Pea lurk around and keep a close eye on Betty. 

On the rare occasion that Jughead did happen to see his old friend skulking in the shadows, fear would blossom in his chest and an array of terrifying thoughts would trickle into his mind, until he felt Betty’s warmth and presence nearby, quickly working to chase it all away.

But Sweet Pea never had anything to say or report and Jughead was beyond relieved when going to work turned out to be the most harrowing thing he and Betty had to endure for the whole week. And it was harrowing, given that being at work meant that they had to be professional - which was immensely difficult, especially for them. 

By the time the end of the week rolled around the corner though, Jughead finally reached his breaking point after suffering through an entire day of Betty playfully teasing him with long, sexy glances and brief, yet seductive touches. 

He knew that she was doing it on purpose to get him all hot and bothered and it annoyed him immensely that he couldn’t do anything about it in a store filled with people. 

But when the work day was basically over and Jughead saw her heading towards the back of the store to re-shelve a small stack of books, he stopped whatever he was doing and seized the opportunity. She saw him coming though and shook her head the second she noticed the heated look in his eyes. 

“Juggie no ... we’re at work!” 

Wearing a smirk, he continued his advance anyway and hauled her up against him as soon as he was close enough. 

“Well, if you hadn’t spent the whole day teasing me, we wouldn’t be in this position.” he remarked. 

Betty smiled slyly and slipped her arms around his neck, her fingers sliding into the hair on the back of his head. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” she giggled, her green eyes filled with feigned innocence. 

“Hmmm ... I’m sure you don’t.” Jughead chuckled with a knowing smile. He lifted her up then and kissed her deeply, his tongue sweeping desperately into her mouth. He walked them backwards and Betty legs wrapped around his middle as soon as he pressed her up against a nearby bookshelf, his name falling from her lips in between soft mewls when his mouth and teeth found and ravaged the skin on her throat. 

Bracing her against the shelf using his hips, Jughead moved to pull off her shirt and smiled when her fingers beat him to the punch and she did it herself instead. He chuckled at her eagerness and quickly caught her mouth with his again, his tongue running along the seam of her lips until she gave him permission to deepen the kiss. With steady fingers he quickly unclasped her bra and was just about to remove the lacy garment when the distinct chime of a bell drifted through the store. 

“Juggie wait ... wait!” Betty whispered frantically and Jughead froze, immediately halting his movements. 

“What?” he breathed, pressing kisses along her jaw, “What is it?” 

“I think I heard something.” 

They both stood still for a moment, locked tightly in the warmth of their close embrace, listening intently, until they heard soft voices coming from the front of the store. 

“Oh my god ...” Betty muttered, hiding her embarrassed face in the crook of his neck.

“You’ve got to be kidding me ... That’s just our luck.” Jughead grumbled. He sighed heavily and gave her one last kiss before setting her back down on ground rather reluctantly. 

“To be continued?” he asked quietly. He picked up her shirt and handed it to her. 

“Definitely.” Betty said with a wink. 

She wasn’t about to say no and he knew it.

~~~

In the couple of weeks that followed the seasons shifted and it wasn’t long until the fallen leaves of Autumn gave way to cold harsh snow - as Winter finally descended on the city. 

Of all the days of the week, Sundays were definitely Betty and Jughead’s favourite, mostly because they could lie in a warm bed together all day and not feel an ounce of guilt. 

However, it was still early in the morning when Betty was woken up rather unnecessarily by her phone vibrating on her bedside table. She grumbled in her sleep and unwillingly untangled herself from Jughead and his delicious warmth. 

She reached for her phone and answered it without looking. She only knew one person would call this early in the morning. 

“Hey mom.” Betty said, her voice still heavily laced with sleep. She sat up slowly and ran her fingers through her messy hair, trying to wake up. 

“Good morning Elizabeth,” Alice Cooper chirped over the phone in her abrasively sweet tone, making Betty cringe, “I certainly hope you aren’t in bed still.” 

Betty sighed and pulled her phone away from her ear to look at the time. It was six thirty in the morning. 

“It’s still early mom,” Betty argued weakly even though she knew it was futile, but her mother was in Riverdale and she was in New York. What could she possibly do? 

“Elizabeth, you know how I feel about you sleeping in -“ 

“- I know ... I’m sorry mom.” Betty sighed again. She glanced down at Jughead, completely care free and still fast asleep beside her, and absentmindedly brushed back the hair on his forehead with a warm, loving smile. She always loved watching him sleep. 

“Elizabeth are you listening to me?” 

Betty grimaced, the use of her full name and the unnecessarily stern tone of her mother’s voice sending chills down her spine. 

“Sorry mom, I -“ 

“Never mind Betty, let’s just put it behind us and move on,” Alice said rather diplomatically, “Now, I want to discuss our plans for Christmas.” 

“Sure ...” Betty replied around a yawn, trying and failing to sound causal and enthusiastic. 

For the next fifteen minutes, Betty was forced to listen as her mother droned over an excruciatingly long list of in-depth details regarding the up and coming Christmas holidays. 

In the past, going home for any kind of holiday hadn’t been a problem for Betty, usually because she invited one of her close friends to come with her, thus giving her an excellent excuse to avoid being at home and around her parents all the time.

But this year would be different, and for once, Betty was actually dreading going back to Riverdale for Christmas especially when she heard that Polly and Chic wouldn’t be there this year. 

In fact, the only plus side she could really think of was that at least she would be with Jughead - which wasn’t exactly a plus side for him. 

A couple of weeks ago after their exchanged ‘I love you’s’ - Betty had, in a moment of pure bravery and utter stupidity, mentioned to her mother that she was dating someone. Initially she had expected a tyraid of questions from her overprotective mother, which is why she was immensely surprised when Alice suggested that Betty bring him home for Christmas instead. 

Of course, Betty had initially rejected the idea, well aware of her mother’s unfailing ability to ruin pretty much everything she got her hands on, but Jughead had calmly reassured her that he wouldn’t mind going, especially if it meant that he got to spend Christmas with her. 

She had to admire him for his bravery, even if he had no idea what he was about to walk into. She figure that he would most likely end up regretting his decision to come and that made her more than a little nervous. She loved him and the last thing she needed right now was for her family to get in the way of that. 

“So we can expect to come through on the 22nd and you’ll be staying for a week, correct?” 

“Correct,” Betty replied automatically, reaching over Jughead to grab the note pad and pen on the beside table, “We should get there at around noon.” 

“Perfect!” Alice said happily, “I’ll make sure your father is there to collect you and this new boyfriend of yours.” 

Betty sighed, pushing back the urge to remind her mother not to be rude about Jughead, until she actually met him and quickly wrote down the date. 

She tried to return to her previous position then when a familiar pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, keeping her firmly in place. She grinned and look down at Jughead, who was now fully awake, and kissed him softly, allowing him to temporarily distract her until her mother’s biting voice pierced her brain again. 

“ - I’m very excited to hear all about your work in New York.” 

Betty pulled away from the kiss and swallowed nervously around the lump in her throat. With everything that had happened over the last couple of months, she had completely forgotten about ‘The Lie’ she had been telling her mother regarding her career for the last two years. 

In a way, she did regret her decision to lie to her mother about all of this, but that was the only thing she did regret and it certainly wasn’t enough to make her reconsider any of the other decisions she had made. 

“Y-yeah, I uh ... I’m looking forward to talking about that as well” Betty said quite convincingly, managing a small smile when Jughead made a face and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She stifled back a giggle and listened on and off to whatever her mother for the next few minutes until they finally said goodbye and the call thankfully ended. 

As soon as she put the phone down on the beside table, Betty groaned frustratedly and collapsed into Jughead, snuggling into his warmth immediately. 

“Are you okay?” he asked after a moment, gently moving his hands over her back. 

“I don’t know, Jug,” Betty mumbled miserably, “I’m not sure how much longer I can keep up this lie with my mom and I know you’re going to say that I should just tell her, but I don’t know how to do that without it blowing up in my face.” 

“Well, unfortunately it probably will Betts,” Jughead admitted honestly, “But I think you should tell her anyway, not because she deserves to know the truth or anything, but because you deserve to be free from this torment. It’s eating you up inside and it’s not fair. You don’t want to be a journalist and the last time I checked this is your life, not hers.” 

Betty grinned against his chest and raised her head to look at him, her eyes twinkling with appreciation. “Will you say that to her if she attacks me?” 

“I probably won’t get the chance,” Jughead admitted with a chuckle, tightening his arms around her a little bit more, “I’m confident you’ll say all of that and a whole lot more if and when the time comes.” he paused and framed her face with his hands, kissing her gently, “You’re a lot stronger than you think you are, Betts.” 

“You really think so?” Betty asked sheepishly, her fingers lightly tracing over his lips. 

“Not a doubt in my mind.” he said, kissing her head and cuddling her into his chest when she nestled herself there again, “But I will promise you right now, that no matter what happens I’ll be there for you Betts, even if I have to fight off the fiery dragon herself.” 

She smiled again, his passionate words warming and settling her worried heart all at once. He always knew exactly what to say and do to calm her down. 

“Just so you know, thats a pretty accurate description of her.” Betty giggled, pressing her lips tenderly to his neck. 

She felt him chuckle and kiss the top of her head again and she sighed happily, burying the horrible feelings she had towards the idea of Jughead meeting her family deep down in the pit of her stomach - allowing her mind to find some much needed peace and comfort. She slowly drifted off then, remembering what he had said to her all those weeks ago. 

They’d cross that bridge when they came to it and they would cross it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated. Xx


	12. Home Sweet Home and Bright Neon Lights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Riverdale and Jughead meets the Coopers ... I wonder what could go wrong. 
> 
> P.s there will some smut ... just be patient. ;) 
> 
> Enjoy Xx

The 22nd came sooner than expected and before Jughead knew it; he was sitting on a bus bound for Upstate New York and the small town of Riverdale, swallowing back his nerves while Betty slept soundly beside him with her head nestled comfortably on his shoulder. 

Even though the few weeks that had passed meant that Christmas was just a few days away, they barely had a chance to really enjoy the festive period, given that they had spent a good amount of time preparing for what Jughead could possibly expect when he finally met Betty’s parents. 

By any standard he should be more than prepared. Confident even, but there was still something nagging him, a voice on the very fringe of his brain, warning him that this little visit to Betty’s hometown would most likely not end well. Hell, the fact that Betty’s siblings had decided not to come only made him even more uncomfortable. 

He tried to be optimistic for her sake of course, but after everything she had told him about Alice Cooper and her conniving ways, he found that simple task to be rather difficult at times. 

They were still an hour away from Riverdale when Betty stirred, nuzzling his shoulder gently before she let out a yawn and slowly lifted her head. 

“Hey there sleepy head,” he whispered softly in her ear, “The Earth says ‘Hello’.” 

With her eyes still closed, Betty managed a lazy smile before she turned her head and caught his lips with hers in slow, love filled kiss. He returned the intensity of it eagerly, hoping that it would alleviate and chase away his worries. 

It thankfully did. 

When they pulled apart seconds later, the only thing filtering through his mind was that he was spending his favourite holiday with his beautiful and amazing girlfriend - psycho family or not. 

“How long do we still have?” Betty asked, rubbing the remaining sleep from her eyes. 

“About an hour,” he said, draping his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side, “You conveniently slept for the entire trip.” 

Betty cast him a sideways glance and grinned. 

“You’re just jealous because you didn’t think of doing it ...” she teased. He laughed and pressed a kiss to her forehead, resisting the urge to tell her that he actually never slept during road trips, having always preferred to take in the passing scenery instead. 

They were silent for a while, both of them allowing the long minutes to go by uninterrupted, until Betty exhaled through her nose, drawing Jughead’s attention to her. He took notice of her lower lip trapped nervously between her teeth and he knew that she was probably thinking about all things to come; like him meeting her family and her revealing a long withheld truth to her mother. In any case, it pained him to see her looking so anxious. 

“Tell me a little bit more about your dad.” he said, desperate to distract her away from her thoughts if only for a moment. Also it wouldn’t hurt to learn a little more about Hal Cooper given that he would be picking them up when they arrived in Riverdale. 

Betty managed a small smile at his question and shifted her green eyes away from the window to look at him. 

“Truthfully, he’s been a good enough dad and our relationship is sincere in its own right ... but like everyone in this world he has some flaws, one of them being that he’s basically just another one or my mother’s pawns,” she sighed and snuggling into his shoulder, “He’s not the one you need to worry about ...” 

“You know I’m not afraid of her, right?”

“I know, but she -“ 

Jughead sighed heavily and shifted in his seat, turning to face her. 

“Betts I already told you, there is nothing she can say or do over the next seven days that will drive a wedge between us.” 

“I know Juggie, but she can be so critical of people sometimes and -“ 

“So let her criticize me,” he shrugged, “It honestly wouldn’t be the first time someone has looked down on me. I’m doing this for you Betts and for us. Of course I want your mother to like me, but if she doesn’t then it really makes no difference to me,” he paused then, reaching out to softly caress the apple of her cheek with his thumb, “I don’t care what she thinks of me and you shouldn’t either, okay?” 

Betty nodded and quickly wiped away the fresh tears forming in her eyes, suddenly feeling self conscious in the semi-crowded bus. Saddened by the sight, Jughead shifted even closer to her and helped, using the soft sleeve of his flannel to brush away her tears and the physical manifestations of her worries. 

“I promise it’s going to be okay Betts,” he whispered gently, “No matter what happens, I’ll be right there, okay?.” 

“Okay.” Betty whispered back a moment later. She curled into him then, burying her face into the crook of his neck, slowly melting into the comfort of his sheltering embrace. 

“Personally I think she’ll fall in love with the idea of me when she sees how good you look in my dark flannel instead of those pale pink cardigans.” he joked, fingering the blue and grey material of the shirt she wore - the very one she had stated as her being her absolute favourite on more than one occasion.

She cracked a smile against his neck and the warmth of her breath tickling his skin when she chuckled, instantly calmed the constant fear and ache that had taken up residence in his heart. 

He felt her soft lips press against his skin then and he couldn’t help but smile like a total idiot when she murmured her next words in his ear so that only he could hear them. 

“I love you Juggie.” 

*

They arrived in Riverdale an hour later and as expected a man with fair hair and a friendly smile was waiting for them in the bus stations snow littered parking lot. 

As they approached him, Betty lips pulled into a wide smile and when she released Jughead’s hand, he watched with a small smile of his own as she closed the distance between herself and her father with a short run, engulfing him in a strong, heartfelt hug. 

“It’s good to see you sweetheart.” 

“It’s good to see you too Dad.” 

They were both still smiling when they pulled back from the hug which Jughead took as a very promising sign. He approached them with a newly found air of confidence, relieved to see that when when Hal actually took notice of him there was no judgment or distaste in his eyes only genuine interest. 

As soon as Jughead reached them, Betty proudly looped her arm with his and introduced him. 

“Dad, this is my boyfriend; Jughead Jones. Jughead this is my father, Hal Cooper.” 

Jughead quickly placed Betty bag on the ground and shrugged the strap of his own duffle bag onto his shoulder a little more before he held out his hand which Hal happily accepted, giving him a firm handshake. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Sir.” Jughead said politely. 

“The pleasure’s all mine Jughead,” Hal replied, his sincere tone reflected in his light blue eyes, “I’m always glad to meet people who make my daughter happy.” 

Jughead caught Betty’s eye and he smiled crookedly when he saw how relaxed she was now - her anxieties from the bus happily forgotten and he silently hoped that it would stay that way for as long as possible. He eyed her closely then and chewed on his bottom lip, desperately trying to suppress the mad desire he had to kiss her and she giggled at how hard it apparently was for him.

“She makes me very happy as well.” Jughead admitted, his eyes still fixed on her. 

“So I see.” Hal said, the skin around his eyes crinkling slightly when he smiled warmly at the pair. 

Broken out of their loved up reverie, Betty and Jughead both chuckled and blushed at the comment, their mild embarrassment plain to see. It wasn’t the first time they’d been caught getting lost in each other. 

They really were that obvious to everyone these days. 

After loading their stuff into the back of Hal’s SUV, Jughead spent the drive over to the Coopers house listening to Betty gush to her father about her life in New York and how much she loved it there, and pretty soon he found himself ignoring the stupid voice in the back of his head trying to tell him that this trip would be a complete and utter disaster. 

Instead, he allowed himself to risk the thought that things would actually be okay. That Alice Cooper would turn out to be a pleasant and welcoming surprise. 

*

Alice Cooper was not a pleasant and welcoming surprise. In fact, she was the exact opposite. 

During his formative years with the Serpents, Jughead had discovered by pure chance that he actually had a keen and natural talent for reading people, which is why when they pulled up in front of a charming house on an equally charming street, and the steely green eyes of Alice Cooper settled on him, he knew exactly what was going through her rigid and highly conditioned mind. 

She did not approve. 

Betty could tell that she didn’t as well and Jughead immediately sensed the anger and strain she felt towards her mother starting to take shape inside her once again. He quickly took her hand and squeezed it gently, lacing their fingers together to remind her that he was right here. 

“Just remember Betts, she invited me here ...” he mumbled in her ear as they walked up the steps together behind Hal. Betty glanced at him wearing a crooked smile and squeezed his hand right back. 

They were quickly ushered inside by Alice and when she pulled Betty in for a hug that could only be described as more than just a little cringeworthy, Jughead saved himself by averting his eyes to take in the interior of the house which looked like it had been professionally decorated for the Christmas holidays. 

“And you must be Betty’s boyfriend,” Alice said, eyeing him closely when she turned to look at him, “It’s nice to meet you ...” 

“Jughead.” he said, introducing himself quickly, “It’s nice to meet you as well Mrs Cooper.” 

“Jug-Head,” Alice repeated the name in broken syllables, her eyes drifting up to linger on his beanie, “That’s an interesting hat.” she commented, her tone only slightly condescending. 

“It’s also very important to him.” Betty said a little stiffly. 

“Relax Betty, I’m just making conversation,” Alice said with a seemingly pleasant smile, “It’s perfect for this kind of weather, but seeing as it nice and warm in here I’m sure Jug-Head wouldn’t mind taking it off while we all have lunch?” 

Jughead touched his old hat self-consciously. He was rarely ever seen without his trusty beanie, especially in front of people he had literally just met. 

Betty was fuming beside him, her green eyes filled with ferocity, but when she opened her mouth to say something Jughead gave her a look that said it was okay. With a heavy sigh, he removed his beanie and placed it on the same hook with his denim jacket. 

Anything to try and keep the peace, he thought.

Despite the earlier incident, Betty’s mother suddenly became the picture of perfect manners during lunch, to the point where it actually became incredibly uncomfortable. 

That being said, they did managed to get through most of the of their meal of oven baked salmon, boiled potatoes and collard greens with meaningless small talk and Town gossip for conversation - until Alice, much to Betty’s dismay, shifted the spotlight onto Jughead. 

“So Jug-Head,” Alice began, her penetrative eyes fixed on him, “Betty tells me you want to be a writer.” 

Jughead choked on his mouthful of salmon and quickly chased it down with a sip of water, an action that didn’t go unnoticed by Alice. 

“Yeah I’m, uh ... I’m hoping to be a novelist actually.” 

“A novelist?” Alice smirked, her eyes slightly amused now, “And what do you do in the meantime?” 

He felt Betty stiffened beside him and immediately found her hand under the table, clasping it tightly. 

“I’m working at a bookstore for the time being.” Jughead replied honestly and politely, his lips pulling into a smirk of his own. He wasn’t about to roll over without a fight. 

“Interesting,” Alice said with a smile that Jughead could easily tell was forced, “I’m assuming you went to college?” 

“Mom!” Betty warned, her eyes narrowed with anger and annoyance. 

“It’s okay Betty,” Jughead said, applying a little more pressure to her hand, willing her to calm down, “I studied English Literature at NYU.” 

“I see and what are you planning to do with that degree?” Alice asked curiously, “I’m only asking because it’s quite impractical in terms of getting a decent job.” 

Jughead didn’t say anything, a little shocked by Alice’s comment and horrified that she actually had the audacity to go there. Betty and Hal on the other hand were both furious and gave Alice pointed looks. 

“I think it’s a fair question to ask,” Alice defended, “Especially when you take into consideration the kind of future you could potentially have with someone.” 

Sensing the fresh and palpable tension stewing in the air, Jughead ignored Alice and was about to remind Betty to do the same when she dropped his hand and pushed back from the table furiously, shocking both and Alice and Hal. 

“God, you are unbelievable!” she seethed in a low threatening voice, glaring daggers at her mother. 

“Elizabeth, how - how dare you ...” 

but Betty stormed from the room and went upstairs, completely ignoring her mother and anything she had to say. 

Momentarily stunned, Alice quickly composed herself and straightened her shirt self consciously before she got up and left the table as well, awkwardly leaving Hal and Jughead behind. 

“Well, that went ... well” Hal muttered morbidly to himself, clearly disgruntled with his wife and the whole situation. 

That was one way to put it. 

What a train wreck of a day, Jughead thought miserably as he pushed his plate of food away, suddenly not hungry anymore. He needed to find Betty and fix this goddamn disaster created by Alice Cooper and her inability to keep her horrible and condescending thoughts to herself.

“Excuse me Hal.” Jughead sighed as he stood up and left as well. 

He moved quickly, taking the stairs up two at a time and he was beyond relieved when he found Betty in the first room he checked. 

She was sitting on the edge of her former bed, crying softly with her hands curled into tight fists.

Panic stricken, he quickly closed the door behind him and sat down beside her, pulling her into his lap as soon as he got the chance. He reached for her hands and gently uncurled her fingers to survey the damage. Relief washed over him when he saw that she had barely broken the skin. 

She clutched at his shirt then and buried her wet face into the crook of his neck, her body still shaking from how upset she was.

“I’m s-sorry Jug.” she sobbed quietly, “I shouldn’t have ...” 

“No. Don’t do that Betts,” Jughead said softly, “Don’t you dare blame yourself. This isn’t your fault.” 

“But -“ 

“Stop!” Jughead insisted a little too heatedly, making Betty flinch. He sighed and held her close, cradling her against him, “Please don’t.” he pleaded quietly and with more restraint. 

This wasn’t her fault. Not by a long shot. 

He knew going in that Alice Cooper would be a piece of work, but he didn’t think she would be this bad. Her horrible and blatant disregard for Betty’s feelings, for anyone’s feelings actually made him sick to his stomach. 

He looked up and took in the room around him, realising how different it was to her bedroom back in New York. He took in the pink walls, the flowers patterned sheets and the heart shaped picture frames littering her walls. He took in how perfect everything looked and he knew that none of this was Betty - this was what Alice tried to turn her into and, right now, all he wanted to do was take her away from it. Far away from it. 

Jughead pulled back to look at Betty then, framing her beautiful face with his hands before he leaned in and kissed her slowly and passionately - willing her worries away. 

“Take me somewhere you love Betts,” he whispered, “Show me your Riverdale.” 

 

~~~

 

It was true that for most of Betty’s life her relationship with her parents had always been pretty strained - but things between them had never been this bad. 

From the moment her mother had laid eyes on Jughead and decided that he was a bump in the road that needed to be flattened out immediately, Betty knew that their trip to Riverdale for the Christmas holidays would be completely ruined.

Her mother never failed to disappoint her in that respect. 

Now here she was - her thoughtless mother a forgotten memory shoved into the very back of her mind where she could stay forever - in a familiar place that never failed to lighten her troubled heart and bring a smile to her face no matter how awful she felt. 

Pop’s Chock'lit Shop Diner. 

Jughead had asked her to take him somewhere she loved - to show him her Riverdale and this retro diner from her childhood memories with its warm neon lights, comfy well worn booths and stellar burgers and milkshakes, was the very first place that came to mind. 

“God, I used to love coming here!” Betty gushed with a brilliant smile as she led Jughead by the hand to her favorite table near the back. They slipped into the booth together and Jughead draped his arm over her shoulders as he took in the welcoming space that surrounded him. 

“Well, if I lived here I would definitely spend every second I could in this place.” he said with a huge smile of his own, “I can see why you love it so much.” 

Betty smiled at him warmly and pressed a lingering kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for getting me out of there, Jug.” 

“What do you mean? Coming here was your idea.” Jughead reminded her with a soft smile that reached his eyes. 

“You know what I mean,” she said softly, “If it wasn’t for you and what you said, I’d probably still be crying in my room and not smiling right now, so thank you Jug, from the bottom of my heart.” 

“You’re very welcome, Betts.” he said, caressing her cheek with his knuckles before he leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips. 

"Well, I don't believe my eyes! Betty Cooper sitting in one my booths after all this time!" 

Betty recognised the familiar voice immediately and when she pulled away from Jughead, a huge smile and a mild blush spread across her face when she saw Pop Tate smiling down at her. He was still the same as well. The same kind hearted man she remembered so fondly, only now he was a little older and more distinguished. 

"Hey Pop!" she beamed, standing up to give him a long, sweet hug, "It's so good to see you again!" 

The older man smiled warmly. "It’s good to see you too darling, what's it been, six ... seven years?" 

"Seriously Pops, it’s been one!” Betty laughed. 

“Funny, feels like it’s been seven,” Pop chuckled, “In any case, it's good to have you back sweetheart.” his eyes drifted to Jughead and he smiled, “And who’s this fine young man?”

"This is my boyfriend; Jughead Jones.” Betty said happily, taking her seat beside him once again. 

“It’s nice to meet you Sir.” Jughead said, shaking Pop’s outstretched hand. 

"Sir?” Pop chuckled lightly, clearly flattered, "I like him already Betty. Now, what can I get you? Do you want something different or is your usual still fine?” 

“The usual for both of us please.” Betty said, her lips pulling into a lopsided smile when she noticed the questioning look Jughead gave her. 

“You’ve got it sweetheart.” Pop said with a wink, before heading off to tend to his other tables. 

“What’s your usual order?” Jughead asked curiously, once Pop was out of earshot. Betty couldn’t help but laugh at how mildly nervous and unsure he looked, almost as if he was worried that she had ordered something potentially repulsive. She reached up and straightened his beanie a little, glad to see it back on his head where it belonged. 

“Trust me Juggie, you’ll love it.”

When Pop Tate returned with their order a short while later, Betty bit back a giggle when she saw how relieved Jughead looked when her usual order turned out to a harmless cheese burger and a strawberry milkshake. Of course he fell in love with the food after one bite and practically finished his meal within a matter of minutes, finishing the rest of hers as well. 

They spoke while they ate and for hours after they finished, mostly about some of Betty’s most embarrassing childhood memories, the investigative adventures she went on while writing for the Blue and Gold and that during her senior year of High School she had worked at Pops for a while, a fact that Jughead found particularly intriguing. 

“So if you worked here, you probably had a uniform like that right?” he said nodding in the direction of one of the waitresses who was wearing red hot pants and a bright yellow t-shirt with the diners logo etched on the front, his eyes taking on a heated glint when he turned his attention back to his girlfriend. 

“I did.” Betty nodded, her lips creeping into a small smile. 

“Do you still have it?” he asked, leaning in closer to her so that their noses and lips were mere inches apart. 

“Maybe,” she teased. She smiled up at him and traced her thumb along the length of his eyebrow, completely aware of where his thoughts were going, “Why do you ask?” 

“Well, you know how women find men in uniforms sexy?” she nodded, her small smile slowly stretching into a broad grin, “Well, let’s just say men sometimes feel the same way about women.” 

“Is that so?” Betty hummed softly, closing the distance between them when she connected their lips in a slow yet surprisingly sexy kiss. She liked his idea and she liked it a lot. 

“Definitely,” Jughead breathed, his lips ghosting over hers. He caught the edge of her bottom lip with his teeth and tugged it gently, “I’m pretty sure I would’ve fallen for you right on the spot if I came in here and saw you wearing it.” 

She grinned, his words warming and filling up her love struck heart with a hefty promise of things to come. 

He kissed her then, for what felt like the millionth time that evening, and she melted into him and his warmth as soon as their lips and tongues met and came together. 

And just like that, Pop Tate’s became her safe haven once again. It’s bright neon lights acting like an unmistakable beacon of salvation, working to keep the darkness at bay even if it was only for a little while. 

When they eventually got home it was close to midnight. 

They kissed and fumbled their way through the dark house, removing their shoes and coats as they quietly climbed the stairs up to her bedroom, both of them ignoring her mother’s request that Jughead stay in the spare one. 

Betty just managed to close the door and turn around before Jughead lips were suddenly on hers again, moving with a ravenous and uncontrolled kind of passion. 

She whimpered into his mouth and slipped her arms around his neck as he pressed her into the solid frame behind her, their tongues tasting and twisting together in a wistful cadence. He lifted her off the ground then and her legs automatically went around his waist as he carried her off towards the bed. 

It would be the definition of reckless to have sex with Jughead in her bed while both of her parents were fast asleep down the hall, oblivious and unaware, and while a sane and more level headed person might be able to see the potential consequences this might create - Betty really didn’t care in the slightest. 

She didn’t hesitate or even try to stop him when he removed her shirt and ran his hands over her bare skin - feeling and squeezing as he went - but she was forced to swallow back a rather loud, breathy moan when he covered her trembling body with his, telling her exactly what he had planned to help her forget about every bad thing that had happened today, whispering the sensual and heated words directly in her ear. 

Numb to anything else but her need for him now, she pulled at his shirt and he helped her remove it, allowing her delicate hands to move greedily over his warm skin, her soft fingers dipping into every ridge and groove of his muscled physique, before he leaned down and took her mouth in deep, heavy and bruising kiss - one that successfully swallowed any sounds she made thereafter. 

She didn’t stop him when she felt his steady fingers undo the button of her jeans, pulling them off along with her panties. She arched her back and unclasped her bra, tossing it aside as well, and she almost forgot how to breathe or that she had to be quiet when he dipped his head and covered her breast with his mouth, teasing her nipple with his hot, skilled tongue. 

He stayed there for what felt like endless minutes, teasing, biting and sucking - before his lips finally moved further down, wandering and brushing over her skin as he kissed his way down the length of her body towards the place where she ached and wanted him the most. 

She barely managed to muffle the loud groan that tumbled from her lips with her hand when she felt his tongue slowly drag over her heat, her body completely shocked by the amount of unbelievable pleasure she suddenly felt. She slipped her free hand into his thick hair and could barely breathe let alone think as his tongue and fingers flicked and moved over her slick and aching flesh. 

She whimpered desperately into her hand, her hips lifting to his wanton mouth, craving and begging for more until she felt her stomach clench with unchecked want and desire as she quickly built towards release. 

When he replaced his tongue with his fingers - curling and pressing them into her relentlessly - and his mouth latched onto her clit, she cried out in an ecstasy filled bliss when she felt that trapped heat inside her finally snap, his long, throaty groan reverberating throughout her entire body as she shook through and rode out her release. 

She came down from her high slowly, relishing in the gentle open mouthed kisses he dusted along the length of her flushed and quivering body and the last coherent thought she had, before she lost herself in him again, was how incredible his mouth felt and tasted when it covered hers again. 

Jughead was right. Nothing her mother could say or do would ever pull them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated and thank you for all your support so far! Xx


	13. Reckless Cravings and The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little angst in this chapter as Betty finally faces Alice. Fluffy and smutty Bughead makes an appearance too, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!! Xx

It was still early in the morning when Jughead stirred from slumber, woken up by the feel of Betty lips dusting soft, open mouthed kisses over and across his chest. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled as he watched her move over him, reveling in the pure warmth and love she displayed and emitted through her actions and touch. 

"Mmmm ... what are you doing Betts?" he mumbled, reaching out to catch strands of her tousled blonde hair with his fingers, tucking them behind her ear. 

"Waking you up ...." Betty replied with a dazzling smile. She moved and straddled his stomach, skimming her hands lightly over his bare chest. 

Jughead chuckled and settled his hands on her thighs, slowly stroking them over her bare skin as he stared up at her through the soft shimmers of early morning light, taking in the alluring and breathtaking sight of her wearing his flannel and only that. He would never get over how amazing she looked wearing his shirts. 

"And now that I'm awake," he opened the shirt she wore a little and trailed his fingers down the valley between her breasts, "What exactly are your intentions Miss Cooper?"

"Who's to say I didn't wake you for the fun of it?" she teased, smiling down at him when he popped a few more buttons, exposing more of her to him. He smirked. 

"Did you?" 

She smirked as well and leaned down to kiss him, moaning softly into his mouth when they inevitably caved in to each other and deepened the kiss. 

"So, I'll take that as a 'No' then." he said, chuckling against her lips when the kiss broke, making Betty giggle as well. 

"I just wanted to thank you for last night," she said, smiling at him when he tightened his arms around her a little more, "It was wonderful - reckless and crazy - but completely wonderful nonetheless." 

"Mmm ... It's amazing how often those things coincide." Jughead murmured as he leaned in to kiss her again, his hands slipping under her shirt, leaving a trail of goosebumps when he smoothed them over her skin. 

Betty grinned against his lips and squealed with delight when he suddenly flipped their positions, his tall frame leaning over her intimately as she sank into the soft mattress. He grinned down at her and dipped his head, pressing feather light kisses along her neck and jaw, his tongue peeking out to taste the natural sweetness lingering on her skin. 

"So I'll ask again, what are your intentions Betts?" he said, nipping her earlobe playfully. She smiled against his neck and ran her hands down the sides of his body, trailing them over his ribs and his tattoo.  

"This is pretty much what I had in mind actually." she breathed, moving her one hand even lower. He felt her fingers dip into his boxers and he groaned against the shell of her ear when they brushed over his hardened length, his body immediately tensing with want. 

"This is extremely reckless." Jughead murmured even as he moved against her hand, unable to help himself. 

God, he knew that this was incredibly risky, especially with both her parents sleeping right down the hall, but damn she was making it hard for him to think rationally right now. 

"I think we passed reckless a while ago." Betty breathed as she hooked her fingers into his boxers and pushed them down over his hips, allowing him to kick them off. She found him again and gently guided him towards her slick heat, already aching for him to be buried inside of her. She wrapped her arms around him and gasped against his lips when she felt his tip nudge her core slightly and then both of them groaned with a sudden and uncapped amount of pleasure when he thrusted himself into her, stretching and filling her up magnificently. 

"Jesus Betts, you always feel so good ... so incredible." he gasped the words against her throat, his teeth biting and scraping over her soft skin with little to no restraint. 

Completely overwhelmed by the intense, sexual pleasure coursing through her veins in that moment, Betty could only whimpered in response, her hips lifting up to his, begging for him to move. He obeyed her silent plea and his own primal needs at once, rocking his hips into her at an even and satisfyingly steady pace, each thrust hard, deep and penetrating. 

At first, their lips met in a series of deep, passion filled kisses, both of them working extra hard to suppress any sounds that threatened to pass their lips, but after Betty wrapped her legs around his waist and he groaned at how impossibly deep he suddenly went when he moved inside her, they decided that they didn't actually care who heard them - the need to hear each other and to express themselves becoming more important than hiding from the likes of Alice Cooper. 

"God, Jug ... I - I can't ..." Betty sobbed desperately, her arms tightening around him as he braced himself over her on shaky arms. 

Jughead growled into the crook of her neck, his pace starting to quicken when he felt her body flutter and pull on him, her long moans becoming breathless sighs against his ear as she built towards release. He could feel his own release coming on and quickly reached down between them, the sound of her ecstasy filled cry when his fingers found and circled her clit, sending shivers down his spine and making him even more desperate to hurry her along now. 

"Come on baby!" he said gruffly, moving his lips down to brush over breast, his tongue teasing and swirling around her already taut  dusty nipple. Betty sobbed his name and arched her chest into his mouth, her body barely starting to shake when he bit down on her nipple lightly, causing her to shattered into a million pieces beneath him, crying out as her orgasm ripped through her, igniting his own release as they tumbled into a bliss filled nirvana together. 

His arm gave way and he collapsed on top of her, his spent and sweaty body covering hers as they both took a long moment to try and calm their frantic breathing and rapid heartbeats. He found her hand lying limp against the mattress and squeezed it tightly when he laced their fingers together, acutely aware of the soft kisses she pressed aimlessly along his neck and shoulder. 

When Jughead eventually rolled off her a few minutes later, he sighed contently and pulled her into his side, both of them soaking in each other's safe and delicious warmth. 

"You okay?" he asked, still trying to catch his breath. 

"More than okay," Betty hummed, glowing with pure happiness, "That was unbelievable Juggie." 

"Better than last night?" he wondered. 

"About the same actually, which is a really, really good thing! I mean, I'm still wearing your shirt so I can definitely confirm that it was hot." Betty winked and Jughead's smile turned into a full blown grin when he noticed the loose fitting flannel still clinging to her naked body as well. 

"Mmm ... Well I'm certainly not going to complain anytime soon." he said, nuzzling his face into her neck. 

"Oh I know," Betty giggled, snuggling into him as well, "I know you love seeing me in your shirts, why do you think I keep wearing them." 

"I always thought it was because you were too lazy to get your own." he teased, earning himself an array of playful pinches and tickles from Betty that left him in stitches and gasping for breath. 

They lay there together after that, tangled up in Betty's childhood sheets, surrounded by the facade of her teenage years, for what felt like ages, laughing, talking and cuddling with a few soft kisses thrown in for good measure. They didn't touch on Alice or anything that had happened yesterday though and while Jughead was really happy to see Betty smiling and laughing again, he knew he would have to broach the topic with her at some point. 

Jughead sighed as he pulled back the covers and slipped out of bed much to Betty's disappointment. 

"Where are you going?" she grumbled, weakly reaching out to grab him. 

"To the bathroom," he said, as he picked up his boxers and pulled them on. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips and gave her a wink before he quietly left the room. 

Given that it was still pretty early in the morning, Jughead managed to get to the bathroom unseen easily enough, but on his way back to Betty's room he noticed that one of the doors down the hall was now open and froze like a deer in the headlights. Thankfully, the door closed the second he looked at it and he quickly scrambled into Betty's room, fairly certain that Alice Cooper had just seen him shirtless and sneaking into her daughters room. 

"What's wrong?" Betty asked, frowning when she saw the look of pure horror on his face. 

"I think your mother just saw me." Jughead said, uncertain and clearly horrified. 

Betty raised her eyebrows at him and then much to Jughead's surprise, she burst out laughing. Unsurprisingly, her unexpected reaction made him feel a lot more at ease almost immediately. 

"Looks like breakfast is going to be very interesting the morning." she said, her green eyes shining with amusement as she climbed out of bed as well. 

"Do you want to stay for breakfast though or for the rest of this trip?" Jughead asked as he walked over to her. Betty seemed confused by his question until he reached her and grabbed her hand to examine the shallow indents on her palms, "I'm only asking because, you haven't done this to yourself in months and then you're here for less than a day and -" 

" - I know Juggie," Betty said quietly, her despondent eyes focusing on the cuts as well, "Clearly my mother still gets to me a little, no matter how hard I try to ignore her." 

Jughead clenched his jaw and exhaled heavily, pulling her in for a tight hug. He didn't want her to be upset anymore, especially over something like this and he would do anything within his power to keep her away from it all. The fact that she had something this terrible ingrained into her in the first place made him seethe with anger. 

"We can leave if you want Betts," he told her, "We don't have to stay here for another six days and, quite frankly, I don't think we should." 

He felt Betty smile against his chest and tighten her arms around him. 

"You'd really do that for me?" she asked, "You'd really leave?" 

"Of course," Jughead insisted, "I love you Betty and I honestly don't care where we are as long as you're happy and I get to spend my Christmas with you." 

"You know, that actually sounds pretty great," Betty said softly, pulling back to look at him, "Christmas in the  City and with all of our friends gone, it would be just be the two of us ... all alone." 

"You know, I'm actually completely fine with that as well. I've never liked sharing you anyway," Jughead said with a smirk, "Just say the word and we'll be on a bus back to New York within the hour." 

Betty smiled at him warmly, her hands moving up to rest on his neck as she pulled him down and captured his lips with hers, giving him a slow, deep and appreciative kiss. His lips pulled into a broad smile when she finally broke the kiss, resisting the sudden urge he had to carry her off to bed again. 

"I love you so much," she whispered, resting her forehead against his, "And while I can't wait to go home and spend my Christmas with you, there is something I need to do first." 

"Let me guess, you're going to face the fiery dragon herself." Jughead said, smirking down at her playfully. 

"Yup, and hopefully I'll live to tell the tale." Betty said, her voice breaking with a slightly nervous giggle. 

Jughead chuckled lightly and pulled her close again, knowing that she could handle telling her mother the truth. That she would be just fine. 

~~~

When Betty and Jughead came downstairs later on that morning, prepared and ready to do battle, they were both completely stunned when they walked into what felt like an alternate universe. 

To a simple outsider or passerby with absolutely no prior knowledge regarding the inner workings of the Cooper household, everything would seem completely ordinary, but Betty knew otherwise. 

Which is why when her eyes fell on her mother sitting in an armchair looking morbidly despondent while her father, Hal Cooper, stood beside her with his arms folded across his chest and his stern blue eyes focused entirely on his wife - she knew without a doubt that something was off. 

She sought Jughead's hand at once and clutched it tightly as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, both of them coming face to face with the particular scene. 

"Mom? Dad? What's going on?" Betty asked curiously, capturing both of her parents attention. 

"Good morning Sweetheart," Hal said brightly, his eyes noticeably less intense then they were a second ago, "Did you sleep well?" 

"Well enough," Betty replied a little cautiously. She looked at her mother and noticed that she seemed rather reluctant to look in her direction, "Is everything alright?" 

"Everything's fine, your mother and I had a little chat yesterday and we've both decided that she has something very important that she would like to say to you," Hal shifted his calm eyes to Jughead and smiled, "I was thinking the two of us could go for a little walk, give these two some room to talk?" 

"Um ..." 

Jughead looked at Betty hesitantly, unsure of what to do until she smiled at him and gently squeezed his hand, letting him know that she would be okay without him for a moment. He nodded and kissed her cheek, whispering that he was only a phone call away if she needed him, before heading out the door with Hal. 

Now that she was completely alone with her mother, Betty had no idea what to expect. She shifted nervously on the balls of her feet for a moment before Alice finally sighed. 

"I'm sorry." she said, finally lifting her gaze up to her daughter. 

"You're sorry?" Betty repeated, "You're sorry for what exactly?" 

"Well, for my behaviour yesterday of course," Alice huffed, clearly not appreciating the tone of her daughters voice, "I'm sorry for -" 

" - For being unnecessarily rude to Jughead from the moment you saw him despite the fact that you didn't even know him yet?"  

"Elizabeth -" Alice started to say, until Betty glared at her mother in warning. 

"Answer the damn question mom!" 

"Okay fine!" Alice snapped, "I admit that I made some crude comments towards Jughead but my actions were justified. Think about it Betty, you're on your way to being a successful journalist and he works in a bookstore - I'm sorry, but that job just isn't worthy of creating a sustainable future with someone." 

"Well I don't know, it's been working just fine for me for the last couple of years." Betty replied, folding her arms across her chest defiantly, watching her mother faltered for a moment as she tried to process what she had just heard. 

"I'm sorry?" Alice said in disbelief. 

Betty sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead, wishing that she could've broached this point another way, but thanks to her mother and her inability to be anything but sincere, that opportunity was long gone by now. 

"I'm not working as a journalist," Betty admitted quietly, "And I haven't been for the last two years." 

The rage that suddenly filled her mother's eyes made Betty gulp. 

"So you've been lying to me this whole time?" Alice said furiously. 

Betty dropped her eyes to the ground and nodded her head despondently, smoothing her hands over her jeans  to stop them from forming into fists. 

"I didn't lie initially ... I really did try mom, but journalism just wasn't right for me." 

"So you thought lying to me would be  an acceptable option instead of just being honest?" 

"Well, no ... I'm sorry for lying but -" 

"How could you do this? After everything I've done for you?" Her mother demanded, completely outraged. 

Betty's eyes narrowed at the accusation, unable to believe that her mother couldn't see the bigger picture. 

"After everything you've done for me?" she stated coldly, "You've got to be kidding me right? You're the reason why I decided to lie in the first place!" 

"Oh don't be ridiculous Elizabeth -" 

"No, I'm not being ridiculous," Betty said heatedly, "I lied to you about all of this, because I was so god damn terrified to actually face you!" 

Alice frowned as she processed her daughters words, shocked and confused by them. 

"This is utterly absurd Elizabeth, why on Earth would you be afraid to tell me the truth?" 

"Because of how you are and how you treat people!" Betty yelled furiously, "And I'm not just taking about Jughead, I'm talking about everyone. You've been trying to control me and everybody around you for so long that you've allowed yourself to believe that you have some kind of entitled claim on getting involved in everything we do! I studied journalism because that's what you wanted. I stayed in a boring, loveless relationship with Trevor for a whole year longer than I should've because you approved of him!" Betty felt tears prick her eyes and worked her throat really hard, desperately trying to push them back, "I admit that I shouldn't have lied to you and I'm sorry about that, but it was the only way I could actually live my life, because this is my life mom! Who I date and what I choose to pursue as a career are my decisions, not yours!" 

“I was only trying to help you Betty.” Alice insisted, “Everything I did, I did because I loved you!” 

“No you didn’t!” Betty fumed, “You weren’t trying to help me at all, you were just trying to change me into something that I wasn’t! If you really loved me or if you really loved this family you would’ve realised a long time ago that what you were doing was wrong and that you were the sole reason why this family almost fell apart!” 

Momentarily stunned, Alice opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. 

“Guess I’m not as perfect as you had hoped I’d be.” Betty sneered, fed up and completely finished with her mother. 

The front door opened then and Jughead and Hal both came in from their walk, happy and laughing about something, until they took notice of Betty and Alice glaring daggers at each other from opposite ends of the living room. 

"Um, is everything alright in here?" Hal asked, looking back and forth between the two women nervously. 

"Just peachy," Betty said sarcastically making Alice's narrowed eyes fill with even more unspoken anger, "In fact, I was just about to tell mom that Jughead and I have to leave unfortunately." 

Betty turned to look at her father and sighed when she noticed the concern etched across his face and Jughead's face as well. She gave them both a look, telling them that the talk had not gone according to plan, which they easily interpreted and thankfully didn't bother to question. 

She looked around the house she had grown up in and realised that none of it felt familiar. She didn't want to stay here anymore and to be honest she didn't think she could. Not after everything that had just gone down between her and her mother. And even though she was glad that the truth was finally out there and off her shoulders, Betty knew that this wasn't the end of the conversation. It would go back and forth like it always did. 

Things had never been easy with her mother and while Betty managed to stave off her tears during this massive confrontation, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of remorse sting her heart mercilessly. She had always hoped that one day things would eventually improve, that she could have a real and proper relationship with her mother like a normal family, but that dream seemed completely out of reach now. 

"Well, it'll be a shame to see you go." Alice said stiffly as she stood up, clearly trying to hold back how angry she really was. 

"I'm sure it will." Betty said over her shoulder as she brushed past Jughead and went upstairs to get their things. 

*

The drive to bus station was silent and took forever, weighed down but the unfortunate events of the day - but when they eventually pulled into the parking lot, Betty's heart broke into a million pieces when she noticed how disheartened her father actually was to see her leaving so soon. 

After they all climbed out of the car and finished unloading their things from the back, Jughead kissed Betty's cheek softly and offered to go and buy the tickets for them so long, giving her the opportunity to say goodbye to her father properly. 

"I'm so sorry Dad," Betty said quietly and once they were alone, "For leaving like this, especially before Christmas. I really wish things could be different." 

"Oh please don't apologise sweetie," Hal said earnestly, pulling her in for a heartfelt hug, "I honestly don't blame you for doing this and I know this might be hard to believe, because I haven't always been the best father, but I really do just want you to be happy." 

"It's okay Dad," Betty said, pulling back from the hug wearing a soft smile, "You definitely redeemed yourself by trying help me with mom today and I really am proud of you for finally standing up to her." 

"Thank you," Hal chuckled, "It was quite scary actually, but she was completely out of line yesterday. I just wish that standing up to her had made more of a difference." 

"It did though," Betty said, stroking his arm gently, "It made a huge difference to me, Dad." 

"Well I'm glad to hear that," Hal said, smiling at his daughter happily, "And just so you know, I really like him a lot." he added, nodding his head in Jughead's direction, “So even though your mother doesn’t approve of him, I do.” 

Betty looked over her shoulder and smiled when she saw Jughead as well, respectfully keeping his distance. Despite everything that had happened over the last few days, she couldn't wait to be alone with him again. 

She turned back to her dad with tears in her eyes and hugged him again, pouring all of the appreciation she felt towards him into it. 

"I love him Dad and he really does make me happy." she said, when the hug broke. 

"I know he does," Hal said, "And I know that you love him sweetheart and more importantly I know that he loves you too. Just tell him to be a little more quiet when he's sneaking around, okay?" 

"I'll be sure to mention it to him." Betty giggled, blushing like a total idiot as she collapsed into her father again and wrapped her arms around him in another tight hug. 

Well, at least she had one decent parent and right now that was more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated!! Xx


	14. Silent Nights and Festive Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting this chapter out after going through assignment hell!! Anyway, here it is .... Hope you enjoy!! ;) Xx

When Jughead woke up the following morning he was tangled up with Betty in her bed and he was exhausted, his mind still reeling as memories from the night before came rushing back. 

While on the bus back to New York, Betty had been unusually quiet - no doubt mulling over the last couple of days and its ill-fated events - but when they walked into her apartment after hours of traveling, Jughead’s growing concern for her shot through the roof when everything suddenly came crashing down and the tears she had been fighting back all day, started to fall. 

He held her for the entire evening as a result, whispering an endless amount of comforting words in her ear while she cried and struggled to fall asleep, his heart breaking little by little with every torturous second that passed. When exhaustion finally claimed her a little after midnight, he found that he couldn’t sleep now - terrified to take his eyes off her for even a moment. 

He had never seen Betty this upset before and if he wasn’t cursing Alice Cooper through gritted teeth already, he would be now. 

But it was Christmas Eve and with her dreadful mother miles away now, he was determined to make sure that what happened last night never happened again. 

Moving slowly, he gently untangled himself from Betty’s limbs, a smile tugging at his lips when she frowned in her sleep, and quietly tip toed out the room. 

It was unnecessarily cold without her near him, his body shocked by the unexpected lack of warmth, but at least he didn’t have to worry about Archie or Veronica pouncing on him while he whipped up two cups of ‘hopefully-make-everything-better’ hot chocolate in the kitchen. 

When Jughead came back to the room, he found Betty still curled up in the sheets, exactly where he had left her. He smiled warmly and sat down on the edge of the bed, placing his cup of hot chocolate on the bedside table. 

She stirred when his fingers caressed her cheek softly and the lazy smile she wore when she finally managed to open her eyes made a familiar kind of warmth spread through him. He held the cup of hot chocolate out to her and watched as her smile turned into a breathtaking grin. 

“Oh, what’s this for?” she asked, her voice surprised and still groggy with sleep. She sat up slowly and accepted the cup from him gratefully. 

“Since when do we need a reason to drink hot chocolate?” Jughead asked with a smirk, reaching out to tuck a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear. 

“Fair enough.” Betty giggled, sipping the hot liquid slowly and carefully. He noticed that she looked pretty exhausted as well, the aftermath of last night still straining over her too.

He drank his hot chocolate for a moment, delaying the looming task of having to broach this topic with her. He didn’t want to bring it up again. He didn’t want to talk about Alice Cooper and the emotional destruction she had caused, but for his plan to work he would have to. 

“So listen Betts, about last night ...” he trailed off when she sighed and peered over the rim of her mug to look at him, her eyes slightly anxious.

“Juggie -“ 

“I don’t want to go into it too much Betts,” he said, gently interrupting her, “I think we can both agree that last night was awful and while it kills me that I can’t do anything to erase everything that has happened to you lately, I want make sure nothing like that happens again anytime soon.” 

“Is that what this is all about?” Betty asked, gesturing to the hot chocolate. 

“Maybe.” Jughead admitted with a soft sigh. 

Prompted by his words and his obvious concern for her, Betty’s lips pulled into a small smile and she moved so that she was even closer to him. He sighed when she kissed his cheek softly, his thoughts and body finally starting to relax when she ran her hand over his back comfortingly. 

“I’m sorry for making you worry so much.” she whispered, noting the heavy bags under his eyes from a lack of sleep. 

“Betty -“ he started to speak, but she placed her fingers on his lips, effectively stopping him. 

“I know you’re going to tell me that none of this is my fault, but in a way it kind of is. I should have known that going back to Riverdale or exposing you to my mother was a bad idea,” she sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, “Of course, I wanted you to meet my family and of course I wanted it to go well, but I knew going in that it would be incredibly risky.”

“We both did technically,” he reminded her, leaning his head to the side so that it lay on top of hers, “I just don’t want you to be upset like that ever again.” 

“I know,” Betty said softly, “So let’s just forget about all of it, okay? It’s Christmas Eve and I want to spend every second of it with you - not thinking or talking about my mother.” 

Jughead chuckled softly and dipped his head, searching until he found her lips, pressing his mouth to hers as soon as he did. He was prepared to forget about everything Alice Cooper related if that was what she wanted. As far as he was concerned, they had an entire day to waste away together and he smiled when his mind started to race with all the possibilities the coming hours would undoubtedly bring. 

“What do you want to do first?” 

“I was thinking a nice bubble bath couldn’t hurt.” Betty suggested, smiling when he skimmed his lips lightly along her jaw. He smirked and backtracked to her mouth, kissing her soundly on the lips when he did. 

“A bath it is Betts.” 

*

It was a new experience for both of them - bathing together. 

Sure, they had showered together on more than one occasion, but a bath unlike a shower, was unhurried and elevated the word ‘intimacy’ to whole new level. In any case, it was an experience Jughead wouldn’t forget any time soon. 

He wouldn’t forget how beautiful she looked climbing into hot, bubble filled water or the way she scooted forward so that he could slide into the bathtub as well and sit down behind her. He definitely wouldn’t forget how she sighed when she leaned back and nestled herself against him or the way she turned her head and nuzzled her face into his neck when she felt his arms wrap around her waist, holding her close. 

Truthfully, bathing with Betty was an entirely new experience for him in more ways than one. 

In his twenty three years of existence, he had never done anything remotely close to this with any of his previous girlfriends and even though this wasn’t the most intimate thing he and Betty had done together, it certainly felt like it was to him. 

It was comfortable and easy. Every single amorous second of it. 

He smiled warmly then, watching as her delicate hand skimmed over the glassy surface of the water, swirling the bubbles around aimlessly. He tightened his arms around her and kissed the side of her head, tying in vain to control his thoughts, because despite himself and his preference to avoid thinking about anything that could potentially make him feel an iota of jealously, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was like him - a virgin in the sense of bathing with someone or if she was more .... experienced. 

“What are you thinking about?” she asked him then, almost as if she had been reading his mind this whole time. 

“This ... what we’re doing.” he replied honestly, his lips finding and kissing her forehead gently, “I’ve never done anything like it before.” 

“Wait ... You’ve never bathed with anyone before?” Betty asked, pulling back to look at him in disbelief. 

“No,” he said, chuckling at her reaction, “Why is that so hard to believe?” 

“No ... it’s just - Haven’t you had other girlfriends before?” 

“You know I have.” 

“And you never did this with any of them?” 

He shook his head from side to side, grinning broadly when he saw how shocked she looked. 

“Really?” she pressed. 

“Cross my heart Betts ...” Jughead promised, drawing a cross over a small patch of his chest with his index finger. He eyed Betty for a moment and chuckled under his breath when her brow creased into an obvious frown. 

Apparently she was having a really hard time believing that he had never soaked in vanilla scented bubble bath water with someone he loved before, which of course, only made him even more curious to find out if she had. 

“I’m guessing you have though” he said, smirking when she suddenly became a little sheepish and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

“Maybe once or twice ....” she admitted honestly, though there was a hint of regret in her voice, “But I’m pretty sure you don’t want to talk about my ex’s again.” 

Jughead nodded in agreement and grimaced, remembering when she had finally decided to tell him about her ex boyfriends; Reggie Mantle and Trevor Brown, both of whom had been relatively serious, but were to dumb too really appreciate what they had right in front of them. Of course, when he tried to tell her about some of his past relationships she had simply plugged her ears and hummed aloud to drown him out. 

Betty pulled back to look at him then, a smirk playing on her lips. 

“Wow ... so I’m really your first ever bath buddy.” she stated happily, her green eyes wide and teasing. 

“Really Betts ... Bath buddy?” Jughead cringed as he repeated the words, which only made Betty’s struggle not to laugh even more trying. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been someones ‘first anything’ before,” she said with a delighted smile, running a hand over his chest and down his side, tracing her fingers over the inked words that marked his skin there, “Especially not a ex tough guy from a biker gang.” 

Betty giggled at the look he gave her, clearly unamused by her playful and relentless teasing, and she jerked away from him in a fit of laughter when he suddenly pinched her side playfully, disturbing the water around them so that spilled over the sides. 

“Juggie - s-s-stop ... you’re making a mess!” Betty eventually managed to gasp out in between breaths, trying her best to move away from him and his prodding fingers. 

“Well you shouldn’t start something you can’t finish Betts.” he teased back, grinning devilishly as pulled her into his lap again, “Especially when you’re dealing with a tough ex biker.” 

They both laughed hysterically, the warm light-hearted sounds echoing around the room, even as more of their precious bath water splashed over the sides and onto the floor. 

Caught up in the euphoria of the moment and deciding to use it to her her advantage, Betty turned as quickly as she could and straddled his hips, kissing him both thoroughly and passionately the second she got the chance. 

She slipped her tongue into his mouth when he gave her the opportunity and moved over him slowly, grinding herself against his growing arousal, and Jughead groaned deeply into her mouth when she pressed herself right up against him and slipped her hands into his thick strands of hair, tugging on them gently. 

He held her tightly, his hands keeping her impossibly close to him as they moved down and over the expanse of her back until they came to rest on her hips. He felt her hands settle on his shoulders and spurred on by the intimate roll of her hips, he dipped his head and trailed a path of hot, open mouthed kisses down the column of her neck. 

He stopped when he discovered her frantic pulse point and sucked at the skin he found there with purpose, bucking his hips upwards ever so slightly so that she gasped and then moaned against his ear - both of them relishing in the delicious friction the action caused. 

“You know ... for a first experience this is pretty up there.” Jughead murmured against her throat, his hands gripping, squeezing and moving with her hips. 

Betty smiled against his neck and delicately sucked at his skin, marking the spot with her teeth, before she adjusted herself slightly, moving until she was hovering over his hardened erection. Mere seconds later they were both groaning with surprised satisfaction and astounding pleasure when she slowly sank down onto him, burying him inside her completely. 

“You know me Juggie ... I always try my absolute best not to disappoint.” 

She whispered the words against his ear before her hungry lips found his once again and she slowly started to move — the sensual motions of her body and the sweet, pressure of her soft lips successfully distracting him until the water turned cold. 

~~~

They spent the rest of the day in their own personal haze. There was nothing rushed about it which is exactly how Jughead liked to spend his Christmas Eve. 

In the past Christmas had always been the one holiday he could count on to make even the worst times of his life just a little bit more bearable, but he realised the second he entered the kitchen and found Betty dressed only in her underwear and one of his many flannels that none of those previous years would come remotely close to this one. Especially given how the day had already started off between them. 

Leaning against the island, he smiled crookedly as he watched her pad around the room gathering up the various and basic ingredients needed to make biscuits. After bringing each other to fulfillment in the bathtub a little more than fifteen minutes ago, she informed him that this was the second thing she wanted to do today, because apparently for a Cooper baking various delicious treats was a tradition that came with the festive period no matter what. 

“Are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day or are you going to help?” she asked him with a smirk, peering over her shoulder to look at him when she did. Jughead flashed her his wide smile in response, not missing the way her eyes trailed over his bare chest or his low hung jeans. 

It was just one of the many benefits that came with living on the Upper West Side. No matter how much snow fell over the city your apartment was always constantly and immaculately warm. He stepped towards her then and hugged her tightly from behind, watching while she finished rolling out the dough. 

“What would you like me to do Betts?” he asked, kissing the small amount of skin still exposed on her neck. 

“You can help me cut the dough.” Betty said, the smile she wore evident in her voice as well. She took one of his hands off her waist then and gently guided it to one of the biscuit cutters shaped like a snowflake. 

With one arm still around her and his chin resting on her shoulder - they worked together, cutting snowflakes into the dough until they couldn’t anymore. When she started to remove the excess dough next, he started to tease her neck with his lips, brushing them over her smooth skin while his fingers tickled their way up her side, which, of course, resulted in a pinch of flour being flung in his face. 

“Juggie — no ....” Betty warned half heartedly, giggling when he tightened his arm around her and reached for the flour as well. 

“It’s like I told you back in the bathtub Betts - “ he breathed against her ear, his low tone making her shiver in his embrace, “You should never start something you can finish ....” 

Betty squealed with laughter and tried in vain to hide her face in his neck when he suddenly chucked some flour at her as well, effectively covering them both in the white substance. He laughed with her for a joyous moment before dropping his head and kissing her. She whimpered softly into his mouth before she turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck, her starved lips finding and covering his again almost immediately. 

Jughead deepened the already desperate kiss and savored every second of it, certain that he would never get over how incredible it felt to do this with her or how smooth her skin felt under his fingers, losing himself in her taste and touch once again. He slid his hands down even lower, running them over her ass and then the backs of her bare thighs. 

“Mmmm ... Jug, the biscuits.” 

“They can wait ...” 

He gripped the soft flesh beneath his fingers and hoisted her up, his body tightening when her legs wrapped around his waist at once. She gasped with surprise when he sat her down on the countertop and a long, breathy moan escaped from her lips when he settled himself between her thighs and ravaged her already marked neck with his lips once again - licking, sucking, biting - pressing her up against the wooden cupboard behind her. 

There was very little thinking in that moment, both of them operating on their most basic and primal instincts as Betty reached down between them to undo his jeans and pushed them, along with his boxers, off his hips. He growled into her warm skin when he felt her delicate fingers stroke over his length and worked quickly to remove her own underwear, his body shocked with even more want. He gripped her hips then and pulled her towards him immediately, entering her in one swift and fluid motion. 

Betty closed her eyes and cried out with delicious pleasure when he did and her stomach tightened, the heat inside her growing and slowly building towards release. Seeking something to keep her grounded, she gripped his shoulders firmly as he rolled his hips into her, his pace amazingly swift. 

“Look at me Betts.” he groaned and his abdomen tensed just a little bit more when she did, the stunning shade of green completely overwhelming him. 

He surged forward then and kissed her thoroughly, knowing that he was close and that he needed to get her there as well. He reached down between them to stroke and gently hurry her along, her loud, sensual moans like music to his ears. 

When she fell apart, clenching and fluttering around him minutes later, he stiffened and jerked and tumbled after her as well, already prepared to accept her weight when she collapsed into him seconds later, satisfied and completely spent. 

“God, Betty that was ....” 

“... amazing.” she finished for him, still trying to catch her breath as well. She wrapped herself all around him and pressed her lips tenderly to his skin, inhaling his all too familiar scent with a content sigh. 

“It wasn’t to rough? To fast?” Jughead asked, running his hands gently over her back. Betty shook her head and snuggled into him even more, comfortable enough to stay there forever until she remembered where they were. 

“We’re going to have to bleach and scrub this thing down before Veronica and Archie get back.” she giggled, blushing madly at the thought. 

Jughead chuckled as well and pulled back to look at her with a happy, love filled smile. He leaned in and gave her a soft, chaste kiss before he fixed his jeans and retrieved her discarded underwear for her. 

He helped her off the counter and with wide, dopey smiles and deep blushes covering their cheeks, they finally got around to baking those Christmas biscuits. 

~~~

“Oh, I love this part ...” Betty chirped, laughing against Jughead’s chest as she watched Cameron Diaz’s character punch her boyfriend once and then twice on the nose. 

It was late and they were watching The Holiday, one of Betty’s all time favourite movies to watch over the festive holidays. They had spent a majority of the day lying on the couch together watching movies - safely tucked away from the world and basking in the warm glow of the twinkling lights on the massive Christmas tree Archie and Veronica had helped her put up a coupe of weeks ago. 

It was, for all intents and purposes, the best way to end their incredible day. 

“Can’t say the douche bag doesn’t deserve it,” Jughead chuckled, his hand rubbing warm, lazy circles into her back, “Anyone stupid enough to cheat on a woman like that needs a good punch.” 

“And what about Iris and what Jasper does to her?” Betty mused, lifting her head to look at him curiously. 

“Oh don’t even get me started,” Jughead groaned, “Cheating is one thing, but stringing someone along is the very definition of wrong!” 

Betty smiled down at him and brushed the hair off his forehead. 

“Okay, so let’s say you were in this movie which one would you go for? Iris or Amanda?” 

Jughead thought about it for a moment. 

“Both.” 

“Juggie, you can’t have both!” Betty protested, her lips pulling into a broad smile. 

“Well, it’s kind of hard to pick one,” he argued, his lips pulling into a grin of his own, “I mean, who would you go for? Graham or Miles?” 

“Both, without a doubt.” 

Jughead gave her a look and Betty giggled before she kissed his jaw and snuggled back into his warmth. They watched the movie for a while longer, both of them whispering questions and comments to each other about the film, until Jughead suddenly paused the movie and moved, gently pushing her into an upright position. 

“Juggie, what’s wrong?” Betty asked. She looked at him closely through the poor light, trying to read his facial expression. She saw him smile and watched curiously as he reached down to pick something up off the floor. 

“It’s midnight,” he said softly, holding out a neatly wrapped gift, “Merry Christmas Betty.” 

She smiled at him in surprise and took the gift from him with shaky hands, thinking that she could’ve been stuck in figurative version of hell with her mother right now instead of being in this strangely perfect moment with the man she loved. She unwrapped the gift and tears swelled in her eyes as she stared down at the first edition copy of her favourite book; Beloved by Toni Morrison. 

“Aw thank you so much Juggie, this is so amazing,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him lovingly on the lips. She pulled back eventually and smiled as she reached down to grab her gift for him off the floor as well. 

“Merry Christmas Juggie.” she said happily, holding it out to him. 

“Great minds.” he said with a chuckle and a wink, taking the gift from her with a wide smile. 

Jughead took his time opening her gift, treating it like it was the most precious thing he had ever been given. When he eventually did pull the paper off, the stunned look that settled on his face made Betty’s heart clench with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. 

“It’s my notebook,” she explained when he didn’t say anything, “You asked me if you could read something that I’ve written, so I decided to share this, my personal collection of writings, with you.” 

With what Betty thought were tears in his eyes, she watched Jughead wordlessly set her notebook aside before he cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips firmly to hers, pouring every ounce of love and adoration he had for her into the kiss so that it spread throughout her entire body and warmed her very soul. 

“This is so perfect Betty,” he whispered, “It’s so perfect. Thank you so so much.” 

She smiled and kissed him softly, her heart and mind instantly relieved from the nervous tension she had felt ever since she had decided to trust him with something so deeply personal and special to her, but he loved it and she knew that he would take care of it. The same way he took care of her heart.

“I love you so much Juggie.” she whispered. 

“Always Betts,” he whispered back, “I’ll always love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thoughts and comments are always appreciated!! Xx


	15. Unexpected News and Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was already a bitch to write and we haven’t had power for last two days ... Posting this from a restaurant after spending the whole day here writing the final part.  
> I hope you enjoy it!! Xx

When Betty woke up in the early hours of the morning, alone and in her bed, the first thought that popped into her brain was that she was noticeably and unnecessarily cold. 

She yawned softly and then she groaned into the silence, rubbing the reminisce of sleep from her still tired eyes, once again reminding herself that her beloved boyfriend was spending the few days leading up to New Years Eve with his little sister to make up for his absence over Christmas. 

Even though it did make her happy knowing that Jughead was spending some time with his little sister right now, Betty couldn’t help but notice how incredibly strange it felt not to wake up cradled and cuddled in his warmth - their bodies pressed and tangled together so tightly that there was barely any space between them. 

In fact, she was so used to having him around these days that whenever he wasn’t it was definitely an unpleasant experience for her. She wondered how she ever managed to sleep in such a massive bed before she had met him - feeling as though she was being swallowed up by all the lifeless and extra space she had now. 

She missed him terribly and even though it had only been a day since she had last seen him and a couple of days since the amazing Christmas they had shared together, her heart twisted and ached with longing now.

Prompted by the thought of him, she rolled over and buried her face into her other pillow, inhaling his familiar and unmistakable scent that still lingered there faintly - desperately wishing that he would just appear and love her like he always did.

Resigned to spending yet another day without him, Betty sighed and slipped out of bed, telling herself that in less than 48 hours things would improve dramatically because she would finally get to see him again. Running her fingers through her messy hair, she left her room - semi ready to face the day. 

Betty padded her way towards the kitchen, expecting to find the room quiet and empty as usual only to be left completely dumbfounded when she found Veronica already sitting at the kitchen table, fully awake and eating her breakfast. The raven haired beauty saw Betty coming and smiled brightly, popping another piece of her fruit salad in her mouth. 

“Good morning B!” she said with more enthusiasm than Betty had ever seen her display so early in the morning, which admittedly stunned her even more. 

“Hey ...” Betty replied, failing to hide the surprised look on her face when she noticed the glass of champagne on the table, “You’re up earlier than usual.” 

Veronica smiled happily and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly before she picked up said glass and took a generous swig. 

“You’re also drinking earlier than usual.” Betty pointed out as she went about making herself a cup of coffee - her preferred drink in the morning. 

“B, it’s never to early for champagne,” Veronica said with a grin, “Do you want some?” she held up the bottle and giggled when Betty frowned and shook her head. 

One of the many, yet meaningless differences between them was that while Betty wasn’t much of a drinker, Veronica had always been the life and soul of every party both past and present. That being said, she rarely ever had anything to drink this early in the morning and upon closer inspection, Betty noticed that there was something distinctly different about her close friend this morning which only her made even more curious.

“Well, should I pour some for your Romeo or is he also sleeping in this morning like mine?” 

“I actually have no idea what he’s doing this morning.” Betty said with a miserable sigh, sitting down at the table as well with a fresh mug of coffee. 

“Well that’s a first,” Veronica said with a chuckle, her lips pulling into a smirk when Betty tried to hide her dopey smile and obvious blush behind the rim of her mug, “I was just stating to get used to all of your little romantic late night rendezvous and to think that less than six months ago you were complaining that Archie and I were too loud ... oh how the tables have turned.” 

“Oh my god, V!” Betty gasped with pure embarrassment, her cheeks reddening even more under her friends intense and teasing gaze, “Can we change the subject please?” 

“To what exactly?” Veronica laughed. 

“I don’t know - anything that doesn’t involve my personal sex life, maybe?,” Betty grumbled, “Why are you up so early anyway?” 

Veronica giggled under her breath, clearly enjoying herself far too much and sipped her champagne again. 

“Well if you must know, I may or may not have received a life changing call this morning.” 

“Really?” Betty raised her eyebrows, her curiosity piqued again, “How so?” 

“Do you remember that possible promotion I mentioned a while back?” 

Betty nodded, easily remembering the conversation they had shared about a month prior to this. She recalled it being late in the afternoon when Veronica came bursting through the front door in a blur of happiness and excitement before she eagerly announced that she was one being considered for a big promotion at work. 

Naturally, Archie and Betty were both thrilled for her - knowing that despite Veronica’s manicured upbringing, she had actually worked insanely hard for something like this and it killed them all that they had to wait for such a long time to hear whether she got it or not. However, judging by the glowing look on Veronica’s face right now, Betty had a feeling that all the waiting was about to pay off. 

“Did you?” Betty breathed, her lips slowly pulling into a dazzling smile. 

“I did!” Veronica squealed happily, “I literally got the call twenty minutes ago so obviously I had to celebrate my well deserved triumph.” 

“Well it all makes sense now,” Betty gushed happily, standing up to give her friend a big, congratulatory hug, “I’m so happy for you V!” 

They spent some time pouring over the small, but significant details with unchecked enthusiasm and Veronica was beyond delighted when Betty finally decided to celebrate and have a glass of champagne with her. 

It was warranted after all, given that Betty was exceedingly proud and happy for her best friend and while Veronica seemed to be over the moon with happiness as well, she couldn’t help but notice a sudden but minor shift in her friends demeanor. 

“There is a catch though,” Veronica said quietly. She glanced at Betty, her brown eyes suddenly nervous, her fingers fidgeting with the steam of her glass, “The position is in LA.” 

Betty coughed slightly and swallowed hard, forcing the champagne in her mouth past the sudden and rather large lump in her throat. 

“Oh, well that’s -“ she tried her best to compose herself, but unfortunately Veronica saw right through her and smirked. 

“- Unexpected?” the raven haired girl finished for her, “Trust me B, I was pretty shocked too.” 

Betty smiled softly, thinking that calling this whole situation anything less than unexpected would certainly be an understatement. Veronica moving away to LA would definitely be strange given that they had basically been inseparable since they had met during their Sophomore year of high school.

For a long time though Betty knew that this day was unavoidable. She wasn’t stupid. She knew that at some point in their lives they would have to go their separate ways, but now that it was actually happening in front of her along with the realization that this would also distance her from Archie, one of her oldest and closest friends, suddenly made the idea a little more difficult for her to digest. 

“It is a little unexpected,” Betty agreed gently. She sighed and quickly pushed back her personal fears and worries, knowing that she needed to be supportive right now, “But V, this is an incredible opportunity, one you definitely shouldn’t walk away from.” 

“I know it is,” Veronica said softly -which Betty knew was out of character for her, “I’m just thinking about what I’ll be leaving behind when I do leave.” 

“You don’t have to worry about me,” Betty promised with a smile, “I know we’ll keep in touch with each other all the time and yes, I might have to find another apartment but -“ 

“No you won’t,” Veronica said, gently interrupting her, “My dad owns this place remember? I’m certain he won’t mind you staying here so you’ll stay. No exceptions.” 

“I don’t know V,” Betty murmured, “I really do appreciate the offer, but I’m not sure if I can live in this big place all by myself.” 

“Fair enough,” Veronica agreed. She drained the last of her champagne and smiled at Betty crookedly, “So why don’t you ask Jughead to move in here with you?” 

Betty raised her eyebrows in surprise and laughed seconds later, stunned once agin by her friends unfailing ability to always be so brazen and straight forward with her suggestions or thoughts. She eyed best friend with amusement, certain that she was just pulling her leg until Veronica gave her a look that clearly said she wasn’t. 

“V, you can’t be serious?” Betty breathed, “I can’t ask Jughead to move in with me!” 

“And why not?” Veronica mused, “He practically lives here already.” 

“No he doesn’t ... I mean he might stay here a lot, but we’ve only been together for four months and I’m pretty sure thats way too soon to even consider the idea of moving in together,” Betty paused for a moment and frowned with uncertainty, “Isn’t it?” 

She looked to Veronica for answers and rolled her eyes when she saw the teasing smile on her friends lips. 

“That,” Betty gestured to the smile, “Is not helping.” 

“I know, but to be honest B .. you’re totally overthinking this,” Veronica said, giggling lightly as she reached across the table to grab Betty’s hand and comfort her, “Look, I know four months isn’t a very long time, but to tell you the truth, I’ve never seen you connect with someone the way you’ve connected with Jughead. You guys obviously have something real and I’m pretty sure moving in together won’t change that. Besides, Archie and I only have to move towards the end of February next year, so that gives you two plenty of time to decide whether or not you this is a step you want to take together, okay?” 

Betty sighed and despite the fact that her mind was now racing with a mash up of thoughts, she still managed to nod her head and somehow keep her expression as neutral as possible, slowly but surely taking everything in. 

It was definitely a lot to take in. 

Not only were her two best friends moving away to the other side of the country, but the idea of moving in with Jughead had been embedded in her brain now and she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it - the idea both thrilling and terrifying her all at once. 

Veronica squeezed her hand gently then, promising her that they would sort everything out soon before she left the room and headed off to tell Archie life changing news. 

Betty watched her go, idly wondering what her next move should be. 

On the surface it seemed to be fairly simple; all she had to do was politely refuse Veronica’s offer to stay here and find a more suitable apartment somewhere in the city, but then she thought of Jughead and the tempting concept of never having to be away from him for a prolonged period of time like she was now. Not only that, but asking him to move in with her would finally solve the difficult living situation he has had to deal with since he left the Serpents. 

There was no doubt in Betty’s mind when it came to how much she loved Jughead or that this was something she had been wanting to share with him for quite a while. She had never felt this way with anyone else before, so much so that she wanted nothing more than to wake up and go to sleep beside him everyday. 

But she couldn’t help but wonder if he would he want all of that as well? or if asking him to commit to something as massive as this would only serve to burst their little bubble? 

She had absolutely no idea. 

What she did know though was that while none of this could be termed as conventional, it didn’t really matter to her and it probably wouldn’t matter to him either, because in many respects things between them thus far had been anything but conventional. 

Hoping to steady her shaky nerves, Betty reached for the champagne bottle and poured the last of it into her semi empty glass, fully aware that as of right now she had two days to make a decision on potentially life changing choice. 

~~~

The next two days passed in a complete blur and before Betty knew it she was only minutes away from being reunited with Jughead once again. 

It was New Years Eve and instead of going to watch the ball drop in Times Square like they always did - this year Betty, Archie and Veronica decided to have a small, intimate get together at the their place. 

Moose and Kevin had arrived about an hour ago and had spent most of that time regaling various memories from their fantastic European trip to Archie and Veronica while Betty kept herself busy keeping an eye on the food in the kitchen. 

She had just finished checking on the lasagna for what felt like the millionth time that evening, desperately hoping that the remaining time would pass quickly, when someone finally knocked on the door. 

“I’ve got it!” Betty yelled, practically tripping over her own feet to get to the front door before anyone else could. 

Feeling more than just a little excited, Betty quickly opened it and the constant ache that had taken up residence in her heart disappeared instantly the second she laid eyes upon him. His wide, toothy grin making her weak in the knees. 

“Betty Cooper, you are a sight for sore eyes.” 

She smiled brightly and launched herself at him immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug, one that Jughead returned without hesitation, his own arms holding her impossibly close. She slowly guided him back into the hallway, away from any prying eyes, and he groaned into her mouth when she connected their lips in an unexpectedly deep and thorough kiss. The kind she had been craving ever since he had left to visit Jellybean. 

Feeling as though she could finally breathe again, Betty melted into him at once, eagerly taking anything and everything he gave to her in that close to perfect moment. Minutes later, when the kiss finally broke they were both breathing heavily, their bodies trembling with obvious need. Her lips felt like they were bruised and slightly swollen now, but all of that paled in comparison to how happy she was. He was back and she was in his arms again. She couldn’t be more thrilled even if she tried. 

“I missed you so much.” she breathed, smiling when he gently dropped his forehead onto hers. 

“I guessed as much,” Jughead said with a chuckle, “That was one hell of a ‘Hello’ Betts.” she giggled shyly and kissed his smiling mouth again before he pulled her close and hugged her, burying his face deep into her neck this time, “And for the record I really missed you as well.” he whispered softly against her skin. 

 

Now that Jughead had arrived the evening could finally get underway, though Betty could barely remember anything that happened beyond her personal interactions with him. 

Dinner was festive with music and lots of champagne, and it went by rather quickly with all of them catching up together. Of course, when Betty and Jughead told Kevin and Moose all about the Riverdale fiasco caused by Alice Cooper that almost ruined their Christmas, both of them were horrified and immediately started to apologise, which Betty found endearing and quite amusing. 

Veronica made her big announcement towards the end of the meal and while everyone else took the opportunity to congratulate her, Betty was reminded of the conversation she planned on having with Jughead later on when they were alone. She still wasn’t sure if asking him to move in with her was a sound idea or not, but she had decided to mention it to him regardless, that way if he wasn’t ready just yet he could at least think about it over the coming months until Archie and Veronica actually left for LA. 

“Betts?” the sound of his voice snapped her back to reality and she looked at him, frowning slightly when she saw the worry on his face. “I asked if you were okay.” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” It wasn’t technically a lie - she was fine. More than fine actually .... she was just a quivering mess of nerves now as well. 

“Are you sure?” Jughead pressed gently, running his hand over her back soothingly, “You seem a little distracted.” 

“I’m sure,” she promsied, giving him a sweet kiss. 

When it was close to midnight they all pulled on their jackets and went up onto the roof to watch the fireworks and celebrate the new year.

With winter still lurking around it was noticeably cold outside, but Betty could barely feel the icy chill in the air with Jughead’s arms wrapped around and his warm body cuddling hers from behind. They were standing at short a distance from their friends, both of them keeping a close eye on a rather intoxicated Kevin who insisted on opening the bottle of champagne in his hands when the clock struck midnight. 

“Now that is just a disaster waiting to happen.” Jughead said, chuckling against her ear when he saw Kevin stumbling around, inadvertently shaking the bottle in his hands near Archie who looked particularly worried as well. 

“Why do you think I chose to stand over here?” Betty giggled, cuddling into his chest even more. She stared out over the city then, taking in the bright lights and the jovial, energetic sounds carrying on wind. It was quite an magnificent sight to behold, one Betty had fallen in love when she had moved to New York five years ago. 

Leaving Riverdale to come here was easily one of the best decisions she had ever made in her entire life. Not only did it take her away from her repugnant childhood and give her the freedom to be truly be herself, but it also led her to Kevin, which in turn led her to The Paperback which finally led her to Jughead - a sequence of events she would always cherish no matter what.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, brushing his lips over her neck softly causing her to shiver in his arms and relish in the warmth that spread throughout her body then. 

“You .... and everything that has happened to me since I moved here.” 

“Mmm, and are you happy you moved here?” he asked, his teeth playfully nipping at her ear. Betty grinned and turned in his arms slightly to look at him. 

“Moving here led me to you ... so yes, I’m exceptionally happy that I did.” Jughead grinned back at her, his blue eyes filled with warmth and unlimited happiness. He dipped his head then and kissed her softly, making her heart stutter with unconditional love. 

“I can’t imagine not knowing you Betty Cooper.” 

“Neither I can I Jughead Jones.” Betty admitted, “These last three days were absolutely torturous without you.” 

He chuckled and kissed her cheek warmly. “I know babe, I promise I’ll bring you with next time I go and visit. One, so that I can always have you around and two, because Jellybean almost kicked my ass for not doing it in the first place.” 

“Good,” Betty mumbled as she buried her face into the crook of his neck, “Because I’ve discovered that I hate being away from you ... so much so that I wish you would just move in or something ....” 

She froze the second the words left her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut, silently cursing herself through gritted teeth for being an absolute idiot. This wasn’t how she planned on bringing this up, but thanks to the amount of alcohol she had consumed during the course of the evening, she just had. 

Betty sighed then and chanced a look at him, excepting to see a look of utter terror or confusion on his face only to be left completely stunned when she saw that he was simply smiling at her. 

“Betts, are you asking me to move in with you?” he asked, his smile widening even more when he noticed the blush creeping over her cheeks. She nodded. 

“I wasn’t planning on doing it like this, but yes I was going to ask if you wanted to move in with me.” she sighed heavily to steady her nerves, knowing that she needed to get this out. That there was no going back now. “I started to think about it after Veronica told me that she and Archie would have to move to LA for her new promotion and after she suggested that I ask you to move in. I thought it was ridiculous at first, but then I started to think about how much I actually missed you and I know we’ve only been together for four months but -“ 

“ - Okay.” he said, calmly cutting her off. 

Betty paused with her rambling and looked at him in disbelief, her brain trying to fathom his response while her frantic heart continued to beat rapidly in her chest. 

“Really?” she whispered, “You’ll move in with me? Just like that?” 

“Just like that.” Jughead replied with a smirk, “I love you Betty and nothing would make me happier than to move in with you.” 

“Are you sure? even though we’ve only been together for four months?” Betty asked, still in shock that he had actually said yes. 

He gently turned her in his arms and cupped her cheeks with his hands, his lips pulling into a soft smile. He stared down at her then with all the love he could muster in that moment, an act which made her heart burst even more. 

“I’m one hundred and ten percent sure.” 

He was about to kiss her when Veronica frantically announced that they were just twenty seconds away from midnight, effectively ruining the moment. They all counted down to the new year together, yelling the numbers out into the cold evening air until they finally reached zero. 

Fireworks exploded in beautiful shimmers of light while they, along with the rest of the world all screamed “Happy New Year”, and Kevin somehow managed to pop the champagne without killing himself, spraying the golden liquid all over Archie and Veronica who were too busy kissing each other’s faces off to really care. He then took a generous swig of whatever was left in the bottle and pulled Moose close, kissing him hard on the lips as well. 

Jughead and Betty both laughed and smiled at the enthralling sight, before she felt his finger trail along her jaw until it reached her chin and tilted her face up to his, his happy, love filled smile reflected in her eyes. 

“Happy New Year Betts.” he whispered softly before his mouth covered hers in a passionate kiss, one filled with the promise of all the wonderful things to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated!! Xx


	16. Plans and Practice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically Bughead fluff and smut ... Enjoy!! Xx

“Jug?” Betty whispered softly, “You’re doing it again.” 

Jughead slowly opened his eyes and glanced at her, the corners of his lips tilting up into a soft, lazy smile. 

It was late on a Sunday afternoon and they were at Macy’s enjoying a quiet moment of respite in one of the coffee shops comfy booths after a long, blissful day spent walking around Central Park together. 

He had suggested the idea after their idle morning was ruined by Archie and Veronica having a very ‘creative discussion’ about paint colours for their new apartment in LA. It was only the second week of January and even though they were still a good month away from actually moving, Veronica wanted to be on top of everything and have it all done before they left. 

Things were imploding by the time Betty and Jughead entered the living room, but when Archie and Veronica suddenly went from yelling at each other until their throats were raw to heatedly making out on the couch right in front of them, they both cringed and Betty gave Jughead a pleading look, begging him to make a move and get them out of there. 

He loved going to Central Park no matter what time of the year it was and coincidentally so did Betty - so they grabbed their coats and Betty’s camera and dashed for the front door immediately, more than willing to leave Archie and Veronica to settle things in whatever manner works best.

 

“Hey,” Betty said, gently nudging him back to reality again, “Don’t fall asleep.” 

“I’m not,” Jughead promised, smirking as he leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes once again, “I’m just resting.” 

He heard Betty giggle and sigh as she snuggled herself into him even more, soaking herself in his natural warmth after tiring day spent in the unforgiving cold. 

“Sure you are,” she said, pressing her lips to his neck softly, “Do you think they’ve sorted themselves out yet?” 

“Well we’re screwed if they haven’t,” Jughead said with a chuckle, “We’ve basically spent the whole day here and at the park. I’m not sure what we could possibly do next.” 

“Jug,” Betty scoffed, “You know as well as I do that there are plenty of things to do in this city.” 

“Yes, but I’d rather spend the rest of the day watching movies and cuddling with you.” 

“I know what you mean,” Betty sighed, “Maybe I should just call Veronica and ask her what’s going.” 

“If you want,” Jughead shrugged, “Just don’t come crying to me when she decides to tell you the whole story with all the pointless details included.” 

He watched Betty playfully roll her eyes as she pulled out her phone and dialed Veronica’s number. She gave him a quick peck on the lips then and he smiled warmly as she walked away to take the call. 

Despite the odd start to the day, it still turned out to be quite memorable, mostly because like any moment Jughead spent with Betty, she always found a way to make any ordinary occasion unique or special - a trait he simply adored about her. 

Today she had taken up his offer to help her take pictures after he’d seen her struggling to get a good shot of the frost bitten leaves dangling above her head. He sighed contently as the soft music lulled him into a state of comfort, allowing his mind to relive the fresh memory once again. 

*

“Betts, what are you doing?” 

He watched with mild amusement as Betty aimed her camera at the branches above her, shifting and then re-shifting her position again with obvious frustration. 

“I’m just .. trying to take - a picture and this stupid camera -“ she paused to look at the shots she had just taken and groaned with anger, a sight he found particularly hilarious as he sauntered over to where she stood. 

“May I?” he asked, holding his hand out to take the camera from her. She sighed heavily and handed it over to him rather reluctantly. He smiled and quickly browsed through the images, deducing almost immediately that the settings on the camera were wrong for this kind of lighting. She watched curiously then as he fiddled around with various settings before he held it out for her to take again. “Try it now.” 

Looking slightly doubtful, Betty took the camera from him and snapped a couple more shots to see if there was any difference. There was and she couldn’t help but smile brightly when she noticed it. 

“Okay, you have to tell me where you learnt to do that.” she said, sounding thoroughly impressed. 

“Jellybean. She took an interest in photography last year and part of us reconnecting again after I left the Serpents was agreeing to let her teach me everything she knew for fun,” Jughead moved to stand behind her then and reached for her hands, gently guiding the camera upwards again, “For example, now that the settings are right you can really zoom in and capture those leaves with a lot more detail.” 

With his tall frame cuddling hers, Jughead focused pretty much all of his attention on giving her advice and helping her adjust the zoom until he felt her turn in his arms slightly to look at him, her love filled eyes traveling over him shamelessly. 

“Pay attention Cooper.” he said with a smirk. 

“I am.” Betty replied coyly, leaning in close to press her lips against his throat in a series of soft and slow kisses. He swallowed thickly as the warmth of her delicate touch spread throughout his entire body and she smiled widely against his skin when he trembled slightly, completely aware of the affect she had on him. 

“I meant focus on the camera,” he said, rolling his eyes as he handed it back to her, “Honestly Cooper, get your head out of the gutter.” 

“You started it by coming over here in the first place Jones.” she threw back playfully. Not really in a position to argue with her, Jughead chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her waist again. 

“You looked cold.” he tried anyway. 

“Seriously?” Betty laughed, “I looked cold? That’s the best argument you can come up with?” 

“What can I say,” he murmured, kissing the skin beneath her ear, “I’m very observant and a total sucker for keeping my girl warm and happy.” 

“So I’ve gathered.” Betty giggled, smiling softly as she settled back against his broad chest and held up the camera once again.

With a new selection of pictures to choose from now, Jughead told her which ones he liked the most and which ones he didn’t and after a few minutes of playful debating, they eventually settled on one they both loved equally. 

“We’re definitely putting that up on a wall in the apartment when Archie and Ronnie move out.” 

“Jug,” Betty said, blushing self consciously, “That’s really sweet, but I’m pretty sure there are better pictures we can use.” 

“Well, I disagree,” he turned her in his arms and brought a hand up to her cheek, caressing it gently, “Do you want to know why?” Betty rolled her eyes and nodded leaning into his touch slightly, “I want this picture framed and on a wall so that every time I see it I’m reminded of this moment and every single moment I’ve spent with you since the day we met.” 

Betty raised her eyebrows and smiled crookedly, the love in her green eyes shining in his as well. 

“Wow, I never realised how much of a cheese ball you can actually be sometimes.” she teased. 

Jughead grinned broadly in response and gently tugged her towards him, allowing them both to embrace each other in a warm and safe hug. 

“You know I love you right?” she breathed after a moment later. 

“I know.” he said a little too smugly, and he laughed out loud when she gave him a good, but playful punch to the chest. 

*

Pulled back from the fond memory by the sound of people laughing nearby, Jughead shook his head and focused on on the table before him and the camera lying there. 

He didn’t really need the picture to be reminded of how amazing today had been or to remind him of how much he loved her, but the idea of having something that they had created and achieved together on display for everyone to see was a difficult concept to ignore. 

After Betty had accidentally let slip that she wanted him to move in with her on New Years Eve and Jughead had gotten over being momentarily and completely overwhelmed by the confession - everything suddenly came into focus for him. 

Sure they had only been together for a little more than four months, but he was fairly certain that something like this would have transpired between them at some point. It wasn’t like they had followed the basic conventions of what could be termed as a ‘normal relationship’ today anyway. They were uniquely special in that respect. 

Living with someone is massive step though. 

Betty knew that. Jughead knew that, but he also knew that he would be lying to himself if he ever said that he had never pictured it before; living with Betty, sharing a life with her or at least being brave enough to take the necessary steps to get there one day and in the two weeks that had passed since he said yes, there was no way he could deny how right everything felt between them. 

Jughead hadn’t always been this lucky though. In fact, he had always found his relationship with ‘life’ to be unexpected and quite turbulent. 

One minute it would cut him some well deserved slack, only to snatch away something he loved in return. Giving him Betty had changed his perspective though, enough to make him wonder if he was finally free from its shadow that constantly followed him or if the other shoe was still going drop. It was a concern, but he wouldn’t let that fear define him just yet. 

He had wasted enough time living in a world that was never truly suited for him and was distinctly void of her and the ease that came with their relationship. He loved her and he was convinced that he always would, no matter what. 

He heard the chime of the bell above the door as it opened again and smiled happily when he saw Betty hurrying towards him, shaking slightly from the chilly wind blowing outside. 

“Is the coast clear or do we need to find a hotel for the night?” he asked as she burrowed herself deep into his side once again. He felt her shiver and slipped an arm around her immediately, pulling her even closer to him. 

“The hotel won’t be necessary, but we should probably give them a couple of hours just to be safe.” 

“Wow, I didn’t think it was that bad.” 

“It isn’t, not really anyway,” Betty said, “The worst is definitely behind them, I think V just wants some time to clear the air properly before they make the mistake of moving on with unresolved tension still hanging around.” 

Jughead nodded silently, thinking that that this whole situation was kind of ridiculous and that he was really glad none of his arguments with Betty had ever transpired into anything remotely close to something like this. At least when they fought, which was a rarity on its own, they fought about things that really mattered and, more importantly, they always found a way to comprise and make amends - an element of their dynamic he would always appreciate. 

“So what do you want to do until it’s safe?” he asked after a moment, tightening his arm around her a little bit more. 

“We’ll discuss that in a minute,” Betty mumbled, “I just want to stay here, with you, for a while longer if that’s okay?.” 

Moved by her simple words and by how adorable she was being right now, Jughead smiled warmly and dipped his head, kissing her softly on the lips as soon as he found them. 

“You got it Betts,” he whispered, “We’ll stay right here for as long as you want.” 

He didn’t mind. He wasn’t in a rush to go anywhere unless it was with her. 

 

~~~

 

The week that followed was tiring and surprisingly long. 

Work kept them both very busy with Jughead stocktaking and repacking shelves while Betty spent a large amount of her time helping Kevin prepare The Paperback for a big book signing. Not to mention all the Archie/Veronica drama they had to put up with on a daily and nightly basis. 

They were exhausted most nights, to the point where they barely had a moment to spare together beyond eating and sleeping in the same bed. However, when Friday finally arrived they were given a much needed silver lining when Archie and Veronica revealed that they would be flying down to LA for the weekend. 

Which is why when Betty woke up late on Saturday morning, refreshed and rejuvenated, with absolutely nothing planned for the day ahead, she was determined to make the most of it. 

She glanced at Jughead, who was still fast asleep beside her, shirtless and lying on his stomach and smiled when she noticed that his iconic beanie was still perched on his head. She smiled softly at the sight, thinking that that alone summed up what kind of week it had been, and took it off, placing it on the beside table with care. 

She woke him slowly, kissing the nape of his neck first before trailing several more kisses across his upper back and shoulder blades. When he finally stirred she smiled and snuggled into his back. 

“Jug?” 

“Mmmm?” 

“Are you awake?” Betty felt him shift beneath her slightly and smiled against his back. 

“Barely.” she heard him say around a long, drawn out yawn. He rolled onto his back then and she settled herself on top of him once he had, watching as he gingerly rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He still looked tired, but thankfully, he also looked a lot better than he had for most of the week. 

“Hey.” Betty said, smiling down at him as she brushed the stubborn strands of hair off his forehead. 

Prompted by the sound of her voice, Jughead focused his eyes on her and smiled crookedly before he leaned in and kissed her, slipping his arms around her bare waist at once. 

“Hey yourself,” he said, his voice low and husky with sleep, a sound which made a familiar kind of warmth seep into her bones, “What time is it?” 

“Almost eleven, but I think you and I earned a good lie in after the week we had.” 

“Definitely,” Jughead yawned again and seemed more awake then he did before, “So what’s the plan for today?” 

“Nothing,” Betty said with a shrug, “I plan on doing as little as possible and avoiding absolutely anything that requires me to leave this apartment.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Jughead chuckled, “It’ll be good practice for the future when it’s just the two of us spending lazy Saturdays together.” 

“I probably should warn you, there will be a lot of them.” 

Jughead closed his eyes and simply shrugged his shoulders in response - basically saying that he didn’t care or wouldn’t be complaining anytime soon and Betty giggled as she got up, ready to have a shower. 

“Where are you going?” he whined, feebly reaching out to try and stop her.

“Why don’t you get up and find out.” Betty challenged as she pulled her shirt off, discarding it on the floor in the process. She threw a suggestive look at him over her shoulder as she left the room and burst out laughing seconds later when she heard him curse and tumble out of bed, eagerly rushing to catch up with her. 

 

As intended and expected, it was a slow and lazy Saturday, one they mostly spent wearing minimal clothing while sitting on the couch, cuddling and watching movies together. 

There was nothing especially different about it, but the familiar comfort it brought made the experience even more enjoyable than it had been the last time they had done this. It was something Betty was fairly certain she would never say ‘no’ to - always looking for any excuse she could find to be as close to him as physically possible. 

They had just finished watching Grease (Betty’s choice obviously) when she suggested they order some pizzas for an early dinner. She went off to make the call and came back a few minutes later only to find Jughead reading her notebook again. Initially she had been a little uncomfortable with him reading it in front of her, given the emotional significance it held, but her insecurities disappeared almost immediately when he went on for a whole hour about how incredible her writing was. 

“Have you found your favourite part yet?” she asked curiously, sitting back down beside him. 

“As a matter of fact, I have,” Jughead glanced at her and smirked, “Would you like to know what it is?” 

Betty swallowed nervously and nodded her head in response, not quite trusting her voice. She had been waiting, rather impatiently, for him to tell her what part of her writing captivated him the most and it put her on the edge of her seat now that she was only seconds away from finding out. A lot of what she had written was inspired by what she had been through. He knew about her past, but Betty couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. 

Aware of the fact that this was very special and incredibly important to her, Jughead gave her a reassuring smile and once he was confident that she was comfortable, he started to read. 

“She was like an arrow, because in order to move forward, she had to be pulled back a little bit and then released.”

Betty’s heart melted with relief and happiness as soon as he finished speaking. He had chosen one of her more positive pieces and in a way, she had been silently hoping that he would - given that she had written this one during a time when things were finally starting to change and look up for her. 

Wordlessly, she stood up and took the notebook from him, setting it aside before she straddled his lap and kissed him so deeply that they were both gasping for air when they finally broke apart again. 

“I’m guessing I chose well?” 

She nodded and quickly kissed him again, immediately sliding her tongue into his mouth when he groaned into it headily. They kissed languidly for a moment, their tongues rubbing and curling together in an easy cadence. She grinded her hips against his growing arousal, moaning softly into his mouth when he moved his hands from her hips to the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head effortlessly. 

“I’m guessing it signified a massive turning point in your life?” he said, leaning forward to take a nipple in his mouth and she moaned loudly at the sensation, her fingers slipping into his hair as he ravaged her breasts with his lips and tongue. 

“Betts?” he asked again when she didn’t respond. 

“Yes,” she whimpered, “That’s it exactly.” 

Her body was wound up tightly now and she moved against him even more, relishing in the sweet friction she found when he settled his hands on her hips again and helped her move. With a sudden craving to taste his lips again, she pressed her mouth to his earnestly as soon as she got the chance, kissing him thoroughly as she trailed her hands down his bare chest and reached for his belt buckle. 

Jughead shifted their position then and slowly lowered her down onto the couch, his lips temporarily leaving hers to plant soft, open mouthed kisses down the length of her throat. 

“The pizzas will be here soon.” he murmured into her skin a moment later. 

“We’ll be quick.” she promised, speedily pushing his jeans and boxers off his hips. 

When it came to sex, there were two types that existed to them. It was either fast and desperate, fueled by uncapped passion and desire - much like what they had experienced this morning in the shower or it was slow, sensual and steady, with both of them focusing on taking their time to bring each other to a blissful fulfillment - much like what she was experiencing right now. 

It wasn’t long until he got her there she cried out with amorous pleasure against his ear, her legs tightening around his waist as he groaned into her neck and followed suit, shaking slightly in her arms as he emptied himself inside her. They lay still for a moment after that, their hearts racing - both of them breathless and panting before Jughead finally lifted his head and kissed her gently. 

The sound of the pizza delivery man knocking on the door brought them both back to reality. They chuckled softly and Betty blushed madly when Jughead quickly fixed his jeans and scooped her shirt up off the floor, giving it back to her with a knowing smirk that only they could decipher. 

 

Later on that night - after a long and lovely day spent together, Betty watched him lovingly while he slept, still unable to believe that in less than a month they would be living together, loving each other and doing things like this on an almost daily basis. She still couldn’t convince herself entirely that he had actually said yes to moving in with her and while she knew that it wouldn’t always be this easy - she also knew that nothing in life that is worthwhile ever is. 

She sighed and opened her notebook again, being careful not to lose his place when she pulled out the piece of paper he was using as makeshift bookmark. She unfolded it and read the words he had written there with a happy heart and dopey smile once again. 

“I know the future is uncertain. Time will pass. The world will change. Society will crumble and be reborn again. But in this moment, this perfect moment, all I care about is her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thoughts and comments are always appreciated!!


	17. Chocolate Hearts and Bloody Knuckles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to take a second to thank everyone who has liked, read or commented on this story. It truly means a lot!! Xx

Jughead was already lying in bed when Betty walked into her room, exhausted to the bone and frustrated beyond words. 

It had been a few weeks since Archie and Veronica’s brief falling out and with every intention of making sure that never happened again, Betty had graciously offered to help her friends by mediating any of the decisions they made or by being the voice of reason whenever an argument inevitably broke out between the two. 

She regretted that decision now, because despite the fact that Archie and Veronica were both adults, capable of handling day to day activities, they were also incredibly needy like a couple of toddlers. 

Not a day went by now when Betty’s input wasn’t needed and even though she was more than willing to help, there were times when she would roll her eyes and wonder why they even needed her in the first place. Tonight had been one of those nights and she was beyond relieved when Veronica finally decided to call it for the evening. 

Doing her absolute best to ignore Jughead and his teasing eyes as they followed her around the room, Betty quickly changed into her pajamas (one of his t shirts and some sleeping shorts) and slipped under the covers, snuggling into him immediately with a frustrated huff. 

“So I’m guessing Operation Move to LA didn’t go smoothly today?” 

Betty opened her eyes and glared at her boyfriend when she saw him biting back a smile, desperately trying not to laugh. 

“It’s not funny Jug,” Betty grumbled, “I know they’re my friends and everything, but I am really close to losing my mind right now,” Jughead opened his mouth to say something, but Betty quickly cut him off, “And before you say ‘I told you so’ let me save you the trouble and just admit that I was wrong, okay.” 

He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

When he pulled back to look at her, Betty let out a sigh when she saw the soft, boyish smile on his lips. That was something she would always love about him, his willingness to listen. 

She had missed him so much as of late and it bothered her immensely that she hadn’t seen nearly as much as she would’ve liked, but it suddenly dawned on her that they were alone, cuddling and lying in bed together and all she could think about was how annoying her best friends had been instead of focusing on him. 

What the hell was wrong with her? 

As if on cue, Jughead reached out and gently soothed away her frown with his thumb, stroking it over her cheek in an effort to comfort her. 

“Do you want to ... talk about it, I mean?” Betty shook her head and snuggled back into his chest with a sigh, completely ready to forget about her friends for the rest of the evening, “So I’m guessing you don’t want to talk about tomorrow either?” he asked and she could practically hear the smile in his voice. 

Betty sighed heavily and looked at him somberly. 

Tomorrow was Valentine’s Day and while she couldn’t wait to celebrate it with Jughead, the immediate thrill she felt in that exact moment diminished just a little when she remembered that their very first Valentines days together would also serve as a going away dinner of sorts for Archie and Veronica - which she hadn’t minded agreeing to two weeks ago when they had made the arrangement and everything had been copasetic.

Now though she kind of did. 

After everything that had happened recently she just wanted to be alone with Jughead and even though both Archie and Veronica had promised not to bring up anything LA related tomorrow night, Betty knew better than to believe them. 

“I would rather talk about something else to be honest,” Betty said, sighing when she heard Jughead chuckle again and felt his lips kiss her forehead, “I mean, obviously I’m excited, because it’s Valentines Day -“

“- And because of the surprise.” Betty pulled back to look at him curiously. 

“Surprise ... what surprise?” 

“Ah now, you’ll have to wait and see Betts.” He smirked and gently pushed her to lie on her back and she smiled up at him when he leaned over her, loving the intimate way his body was now cuddling hers. She searched his eyes then, wondering what he had hiding up his sleeve and how she could possibly extract it from him. She was well aware of the fact that he knew how much she loved surprises - especially romantic ones. 

“And I suppose there’s absolutely no chance you’re going to share any of the details right?” Betty guessed as she wrapped her arms around him, sliding her hands over the planes of his back invitingly.

He smirked at her as if to say ‘Yup, not a chance in hell Betts’ before he smiled and dipped his head to kiss her, his lips lightly brushing over hers when he spoke again. 

“Trust me Betts, you’ll love it.” 

*

Betty grinned broadly as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, taking in her appearance with the kind of confidence that only came with having a friend like Veronica Lodge. 

The flared dress Veronica had chosen for her was absolutely stunning with its reserved V shaped neckline and its soft red material flowing loosely around her thighs where it ended just above her knees. For once, her hair was down instead of up, allowing the strands of blonde hair to frame her face in an array of soft curls. 

Betty felt as beautiful as she looked which is why she didn’t roll her eyes when Veronica started to gush and told her so. 

“Do you really think Jughead will like this?” Betty asked again, admiring her matching pair of red high heels in the full length mirror. 

“You’re kidding right?,” Veronica scoffed, “Betty, you could wear a plastic bag and that boy would still end up tripping over his jaw if he saw you.” 

Betty ducked her head and smiled bashfully at her friends comment, remembering that Jughead had told her exactly that on their very first date together. She was so excited already and she couldn’t wait to see him again, especially after their brief farewell kiss this morning and his promise to make their first Valentines Day together one to remember. 

“Well Archie’s jaw is definitely going to drop when he sees you as well, V,” Betty stated, taking in her friends classic black cocktail dress and the string of iconic polish pearls around her neck. She looked amazing as well and, in true Veronica Lodge fashion, she knew it without needing to be told, but that didn’t stop her from grinning brightly and welcoming the comment with open arms. 

*

Naturally Veronica was right. 

When they arrived outside the restaurant exactly twenty minutes later, Betty’s heart practically melted as soon as she saw the awestruck look on Jughead’s face when he finally laid eyes upon her and swallowed thickly, apparently overwhelmed by the sight of her. 

Her lips pulled into a dazzling smile in return and she traced her eyes over him, noticing how heartbreakingly handsome he looked (beanie and tieless) in the black suit and white collared, dress shirt he wore. She walked just a little bit faster then, desperate now to be reunited with him again. 

“God Betts, you look astounding .... ethereal even.” he told her quietly. 

“Thanks Juggie, you don’t look so bad yourself.” Betty said, blushing slightly under the heated, love filled look he gave her. Her already wide smile only grew when he suddenly produced a single red rose out from behind his back, presenting it to her with a dopey, lopsided smile. 

Her rapidly beating heart quicken just a little bit more then and she just managed to take she it from him before he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her soundly on the lips. 

Surprisingly enough, dinner went exceptionally well. Not just because of the amorous atmosphere of the restaurant or the fantastic food they ate, but because despite Betty’s previous predictions for the evening, Archie and Veronica both managed to keep their promise and didn’t bring up their imminent move to LA once. She waited for it to happen of course, given that this was also their going away dinner, but when it didn’t, Betty relaxed and finally allowed herself to enjoy the evening - happily taking Jughead’s hand under the table and clutching it tightly. 

Once dinner was done and they were all warmly wrapped up in their coats, the four of them stepped out into the chilly New York air ready to decide whether or not to continue the evening or bring it to an end. 

Veronica and Archie decided to grab a few more drinks at local bar nearby, but before Betty could suggest the idea to join them with Jughead, he clasped his fingers around her wrist and gently pulled her towards him. 

“Are you ready for your surprise yet?” he asked her softly. Betty frowned but only for a moment until realization struck her like a lightning bolt. Of course! The surprise! She had almost forgotten all about it. 

“Are you going to tell me what it is?” 

Jughead smirked playfully, his blue eyes flickering with unmistakable intent and desire. He ignored her question and leaned in to press his lips to her cheek instead, slowly skimming them towards her ear. 

“I’d rather show you.” he whispered in a soft, husky voice, causing a familiar ripple of warmth to course through her body and veins. 

Needless to say, both couples went their separate ways after that. 

*

With Jughead’s arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist, Betty sniffed the rose he had given to absentmindedly, contemplating what the surprise could possibly be while they walked. 

She expected a romantic stroll around Central Park or maybe drinks at an exclusive bar with an incredible view of the city. What hadn’t really crossed her mind was prospect of spending the rest of this already amazing night with him in a beautiful, but expensive hotel suite. 

“Juggie ...” she whispered, completely awestruck as she took in the sight before her. Decorative candles had been placed randomly around the room and rose petals had been scattered over the oversized bed, “How did you?” 

“I’ll let you take a wild guess.” he said, as he wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her from behind. Betty settled herself against his chest and thought about it for a moment, reasoning that she only knew one person who could possibly afford all of this. 

“Veronica?” 

Jughead grinned broadly and kissed her neck. 

“Apparently she felt really bad for putting you through the ringer lately so she offered to ... make it up to us. Do you like it or is it too cheesy for you?” he sounded a little unsure of himself which Betty thought was endearing, but absolutely ridiculous as well. 

How could she not like this? It was exactly what she wanted - to be alone with him in a place where they could forget about everything for a while and just be with each other for an entire evening. She turned in his arms then and wrapped hers around his neck at once, smiling up at him gratefully. 

“It is a little cheesy,” she admitted with a giggle, “but Valentines Day is one of the few days of the year when you can get away with that sort of thing.” 

“Good to know, because I literally had nothing else planned as a backup.” Jughead chuckled. Betty giggled as well and gave him a quick peck on the lips. 

“Give me a minute to freshen up?” she asked and Jughead nodded, pressing his lips to hers one more time before he let her go. 

Once inside the bathroom Betty quickly worked to remove her dress and shoes, grinning and shaking her head as she finally pieced together why Veronica had insisted that she wear her favourite set of white, lacy lingerie. She would have to thank her friend tomorrow. Profusely. 

When she finally emerged from the bathroom wearing one the hotels complementary bath robes, Jughead was waiting for her. He had removed his shoes and jacket and had rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt since she had last seen him, making him look even more desirable than he had been before. 

She smirked and slowly stepped towards him, his eyes darkening with want when she stopped right in front of him and he noticed her exposed skin beneath the loose fitting garment. She skimmed her hands over his chest, feeling the toned muscles beneath her palms twice slightly, and pushed the jacket off his shoulders, letting it to fall to the ground with barely audible thud

She focused her attention on his shirt next, popping each button with her slim, delicate fingers before she kissed him. Slowly, deeply, sensually. Making absolutely sure that by the time they pulled apart he knew exactly how she felt and how much she appreciated him and everything he had done for her. 

“Eager are we?” Jughead asked with a grin, as he smoothed a hand over her back while the other toyed with the loose knot she had tied earlier. He untied it quickly and Betty giggled against his mouth when he opened the robe a little and cursed under his breath, skimming his fingers lightly over her bare skin. 

“We barely saw each other this week.” she reminded him, shrugging the material off her shoulders so that it fell to floor and pooled around her feet. Jughead noticeably swallowed at the sight of her, his eyes running over her almost naked body ravenously and with obvious intent. 

“Believe me Betts, I’m well aware.” he all but growled, the low sound thrilling her to the bone, before he framed her face with his hands and crashed his lips against hers eagerly and gently guided her backwards towards the bed, shedding the rest of their clothes as they went. 

It was hard to determine what kind of sex they experienced that night, mostly because it felt like a strange combination of everything they were used to doing physically and nothing they had really done before emotionally. 

It was passionate and swift, their actions propelled by desperation and tangible love, making it feel as deep and as sensual as any encounter they had shared before. They connected effortlessly in that moment, both of them shaking with raw anticipation and groaning with uncapped pleasure when they found a rhythm that made them both see stars and slowly gravitate towards their own personal nirvana together. 

She took charge and flipped their positions at one point. Moving over him slowly, but deliberately, loving the sexy way his lust filled eyes travelled over the curves and planes of her body or the appreciative way his hands brushed over every inch of of her soft skin, gripping and squeezing it as he went. He sat up then and kissed her breathlessly, making her frantically beating heart stutter and burst into flames before he switched their positions again. 

“God, I missed you.” he breathed roughly against her neck, rocking his hips purposefully into hers while he clutched her hand in his, keeping it just above her head. Betty moaned at how amazing he felt and tightened her legs around his waist in response, whimpering back that she had missed him too, that she loved him so much and her stomach clenched even more when she focused on him and saw the way he was looking at her - like she was the only thing that actually existed to him. 

She pulled him impossibly close while he marked her skin with his teeth and mouth and she cried out against the shell of his ear when he reached down between them to gently help her along with her fingers. They fell apart together minutes later, wrapped up in each other’s warmth and arms, spent and completely sated. 

It took them a moment to recover and once they had, Betty coyly suggested they have a ‘quick’ shower to ‘freshen up’ and it wasn’t long until Jughead was kissing his way down her body beneath a steady stream of warm water, lavishing her breasts with his mouth and tongue before he kneeled and kissed her most sensitive and intimate place, bringing her to release within a matter of minutes. 

She came down slowly and when she managed to regain a semblance of control, she decided to return the favour, mimicking his actions as she kissed her way down his defined chest and hard torso, tracing the lines of his abs with her tongue before dropping to her knees and taking him in her mouth before he could even begin to protest. 

*

It was only in the early hours of the morning when they finally reached a point of exhaustion where all they could do, apart from the obvious, was cuddle. 

It had been, dare she say it, a perfect evening. From the fantastic food to Jughead’s incredible surprise. Every second of it had been magical and she couldn’t imagine a better way to spend her first Valentines Days with him even if she wanted to. She could see this kind of thing becoming some kind of future tradition for them. In fact, she often found herself picturing a lot of things with him in mind and while thinking like that had always scared her in the past with Trevor and Reggie - with him it didn’t.

“Thank you.” she whispered softly then, snuggling herself into his side and chest a little bit more. 

“For what?” he whispered back. 

“For this. For tonight. For everything ... it was so wonderful I can’t believe it even happened.” 

“Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, because this has definitely been one of the best nights of my life ... even if I did need a little bit of help to make it happen ...” 

“Well I’m sure anything else you could’ve come up with would have been just as incredible Juggie,” Betty stated, giving him a soft, reassuring kiss, “Still I need to remember to thank Veronica.” 

“We both do.” he said, chuckling around a long yawn, 

He ran his hand along the length of her arm then and told her how much he loved her, promising that he always would before he drifted off to sleep and she believed him wholeheartedly, knowing that no matter what she always would too. 

 

~~~

 

The end of February came faster than anticipated and in that time Operation: Move to LA thankfully went off without a hitch. 

Archie and Veronica were happy and almost completely settled now and they called every single week to catch up, something Jughead knew Betty always looked forward too - especially given how hard it had been for her to watch her best friends leave in the first place. 

On the plus side, he and Betty had been living together for a couple of weeks now and things between them had never been better and were as close to perfect as they could possibly get. 

It was crazy to think that Jughead Jones - former troubled youth and ‘ruthless’ gang member - now lived in an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with the woman he loved in a haze of pure domesticity. 

From a young age he had resigned himself to a hard and mediocre life, so much so that, that he never thought in a million years that he would ever be this lucky. That a girl like Betty would ever love someone with a past like his and yet, by some miracle, here he was with her by his side, living a life that he had always believed would be out of his reach. 

On this particular day, it was late on a Friday afternoon and work had ended about half an hour ago, leaving Jughead to close up the store while Betty headed to over Declan’s where they were meeting Moose and Kevin for drinks. Normally he would’ve left with her, but he still had some items to collect from the storeroom and take home before he could technically end the day and join them. 

After gathering up his various books and trinkets and placing them in a box, Jughead locked up The Paperback and headed down the street towards the nearest subway station. 

Even with winter starting to wane it was still cold out and he shivered slightly as he made his way down the unusually quiet sidewalk. He walked idly for another ten minutes before he noticed a hooded man in the distance moving steadily towards him. 

Call it instinct or a side effect from his Serpent years or even the rationality that came with living in a city like New York, but Jughead was always aware of his surroundings and cautious. Always alert. 

Which is why when the approaching stranger suddenly shifted his path to line up with his, Jughead gritted his teeth and reacted immediately, moving to try and cross the street, but the sound of someone running towards him from behind caught him off guard before he could and the last thing he remembered before he hit the ground was the pain he felt when something hard collided with his head and the sound of someone yelling his name. 

*

Declan’s atmosphere was as loud and festive as always and while everyone around her had thrown caution to the wind and were enjoying themselves, Betty was a worrisome puddle of nerves: 

It had been almost two hours since work had ended and there was still no sign of Jughead which was definitely strange given that he always called her if something was wrong or if he was going to be delayed in any way. She frowned again and looked down at her phone anxiously, desperately trying not to imagine the worst. 

She tried calling his phone again and her heart sank into her stomach when it didn’t even ring and went straight to voicemail this time. Something was definitely wrong. 

“I’m sure he’s fine Coop,” Moose said, trying to ease her troubled mind when he noticed how uneasy she looked, “Maybe he’s caught in traffic or something.” 

Betty nodded, trying to avoid thinking about what the ‘or something’ could be and managed a small smile when Kevin wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. 

“Exactly B, I’m sure he’s right around the corner sweetie.” he said and once again, Betty nodded, trying her best to believe them both. 

She sipped her beer absentmindedly, hoping it would steady her nerves and forced herself to think about how great the last week had been. She was in the middle of thinking about their plans to snuggle up and watch some movies later when she spotted a man moving through the crowd for no other reason than the fact that he was freakishly tall, had thick black hair and wore a well worn leather jacket. He stuck out like a sore thumb in her opinion and Betty was fairly certain he was in the wrong place. 

She watched curiously as he scanned around the room until his serious and dark eyes landed directly on her.

“Ah Betty, do you know that guy?” Moose asked Betty quietly when they saw the leather wearing man roughly push his way through the horde of semi-drunk people towards them. She took notice of his bruised and bloody knuckles and gulped. 

“I ... I don’t think so -“ Betty mumbled, her voice trailing off when the man in question suddenly arrived at their table, casting his intimidating shadow over the three of them. 

“Betty?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. 

She blinked in disbelief and he rolled his eyes at how terrified and confused the three of them looked. 

“Are you Betty? Betty Cooper?” he tried again, “Jughead Jone’s girlfriend?” 

“Yes.” she managed to choke out, suddenly finding her voice at the mere mention of her boyfriends name. The stranger nodded and sighed with obvious relief before he focused his dark eyes back on her.

“Well Betty, I’m sorry to fuck up your evening, but I need you to come with me and I need you to come now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated!!! Xx


	18. Pain, Honesty and Strength.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late night update because I can’t sleep!! Please forgive me for any mistakes and enjoy!! Xx :D

Jughead remembered hitting the ground, harsh and unforgiving as it ‘cushioned’ his fall. 

He also remembered the pain that came next. Searing and unforgettable as one battle hardened fist and then another slammed into his face in a series of hard punches, a gasp of pure agony escaping his lips when something hard kicked him square in the ribs, bruising them within an instant. 

“You think I’d forgotten about you Jones?” a menacing voice sneered, “Did you really think I’d let you go?” 

He could taste the blood in his mouth as it slowly trickled down his throat and into his lungs, the familiar dense, iron taste sending right him back to his past of gang wars and ranking brawls designed to ‘prove your worth’ amongst the Serpents. 

He had been a good enough fighter back then, enough to earn himself a healthy amount of respect amongst this fellow snakes, but in his current state - dazed and completely blindsided, his head pounding without relief - he didn’t stand a chance and he knew it. He was pinned. Trapped. Even some of the best fighters would struggle to find a way out of this. 

He tried in vain to fight back anyway, managing to push himself off the ground with all the strength he had left, but it was temporary, his actions halted by the rough sole of a shoe harshly pressing him back to ground and keeping him there. 

“I warned you Jones, I told you this would happen, but like the idiot you are you chose not to believe me.” 

He felt the boot press down even harder on his windpipe, choking out the last gasp of the air he had left in his body. He could feel his muscles constricting. His lungs begging for air. His body slowly suffocating. It hurt like hell. Every second of it and while ‘pain’ wasn’t a foreign feeling to him given the amount of times it had been thrusted upon him before - this was excruciating. 

That’s when he heard it. The sound of someone yelling his name and then by some miracle he could suddenly breathe again, oxygen flooding his body as he gulped it up desperately. 

In a semi-lucid state now he managed to open his eyes for a brief moment then, just long enough to hear what sounded like fighting in the distance and to see a blurry, but still familiar face staring down at him. 

*

“Jug...” Toni warned again, “Oh for fuck sakes Jughead, will you just hold still already!” 

Jughead clenched his jaw and winced with obvious pain, pulling away from Toni and the rough fabric of the shirt when she pressed it against the fresh and tender cut beneath his bruised eye. 

They were sitting on one of the many couches in The Paperback now while his overly concerned, but robust friend tried (and continued to fail) to clean him up. 

It was the only place he could think of that was close by and that wasn’t a hospital. Not that his injuries really merited receiving serious medical attention anyway. He had sustained some mild cuts, bruises and swelling after taking a few good punches to the face and smacking his head clear on the pavement when he went down, but apart from that he was okay. Sure it had been a while since he’d been in fight, but there was no denying that he had been through worse dust ups than this when he was running with the Serpents. It was nothing a few days of rest wouldn’t fix. 

“Enough Toni, I’m fine.” Jughead grumbled, holding up his arm to block her hand. 

“Oh really? You’re fine?” she questioned, her tone incredulous and thick with sarcasm, “Because from where I’m sitting it kinda looks like you got the shit kicked out of you.” 

Jughead glared at her for a moment before he dropped his eyes to floor and rubbed his forehead, trying to ease away the aching throb that had taken up residence in his head. 

“You know you still haven’t said thank you,” Toni pointed out after a moment, “If Sweet Pea hadn’t been here -“ 

“- I know,” Jughead interrupted her with a sigh, painfully aware that until today he had no idea how deep their pledged loyalty to him actually went, “I’m sorry Toni - I just ...” 

“I know, I know ,” Toni said with a crooked smile, “You’re not going to think about much else until we get the all clear from Sweet Pea that Betty’s safe.” 

Jughead smiled softly. She wasn’t wrong about that. 

Betty’s safety was definitely the most important thing to him right now especially when he considered how easily Miguel had gotten to him and how easily he could get to her. Which is why the first thing he did as soon as he regained consciousness was send Sweet Pea off to find her. That was half an hour ago now and there was still no word from his former right hand, making him slightly anxious. 

He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to her. 

“Stop worrying, I’m sure she’s fine Jug ...” 

He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply when Toni’s phone suddenly vibrated, breaking his train of thought. She pulled it out quickly and read the text, showing it to Jughead immediately afterwards. 

Sweet Pea: Got blondie ... Be there soon. 

Jughead breathed an immediate sigh of relief and felt the heavy weight in his heart lightened just a little as he read each word, but it wasn’t enough to take the feeling away entirely. 

Yes, she was safe, but that didn’t mean anything was over, in fact, all it signified was that he would have to deal with an even bigger hurdle now. He would have to face up to her with the truth and hopefully explain why he hadn’t told her in the first place. 

It honestly seemed like a good idea at the time - keeping Miguel’s possible attack from her, because the last thing he wanted to do was frighten her unnecessarily unless he had no other choice and given that nothing had happened in months that had pasted, he figured it was safe. That maybe Miguel hadn’t seen him that day and he was in the clear. 

He should’ve known better. 

He should’ve remembered that Miguel could be quiet cunning and ruthless. That cruelty could basically be his middle name, because he liked to mentally torture people. 

If he had he wouldn’t be injured and in an unpleasant situation right now - facing the consequences of a decision he was certainly going to regret. 

The door to the Paperback opened then, the distinct chime of the bell above the door quickly pulling him from his thoughts as it echoed around the room. 

Jughead lifted his eyes up just as Betty came rushing into view with Sweet Pea following close behind and his heart practically broke when he saw the fear on her face and the unmistakable panic in her eyes. 

Yup, he definitely regretted that decision. Now more than ever. 

“Oh my god Jug,” she breathed, her eyes already filling with tears as she scrambled over to him and examined his face, “What the hell happened?” 

Distraught and confused, she looked to Sweet Pea and Toni for answers, who in turn looked at each other and then at Jughead, both of them reading the situation perfectly. 

“I think we’ll give you two a moment,” Toni said, nudging Sweet Pea towards the door, “We’ll wait outside.” 

Jughead gave them both a grateful nod, appreciating the fact that they understood a lack of audience would be preferred for this conversation. 

Once his old friends were gone and had closed the door behind them, he turned his attention back to Betty and sighed when he saw that she was staring at him expectantly. She wanted answers and he could tell, simply by the look in her green eyes, that she was determined to get them one way or another. He really couldn’t blame her though, given the situation she had just stumbled into.

“Jug?” she asked again, searching his eyes carefully this time, “Please, just tell me what’s going on? What happened? Who did this to you?” 

“It was the Serpents, a couple of them jumped me,” Jughead explained quietly. He waited. Not really sure how Betty would react to that information. He wasn’t sure how what to expect. Maybe some furious questioning or even some misdirected anger. What he hadn’t foreseen was a prolonged silence between them and unsettling feeling that came with it.

“I don’t understand,” Betty said eventually, “Why would members from your old gang come after you?” 

Jughead clenched his jaw slightly and exhaled heavily, carefully running his hand over his face in an effort to try and compose himself. He looked at her then. Really looked at her, hoping that she could see how much he regretted what he was going to say next and how awful he felt that he hadn’t said it sooner. 

“Because I broke the rules.” 

“Rules?” Betty repeated, “What rules?” 

“After I was kicked out of the Serpents there were certain ... rules I had to abide by, one of them being to never set foot in Serpent territory again.” 

“But when did you -“ Betty stopped, her voice trailing off when she saw the guilty look on Jughead’s face. 

“Do you remember when we visited Jellybean last year?” he asked and Betty nodded, her already present frown deepening even more, “Well, Jane lives on the very edge of the Serpents territory so technically I did ...” 

“And someone saw you, didn’t they?”

Jughead nodded slowly, not missing the way something he couldn’t quite place, shifted in her eyes when he did. 

“Did you know that something like this could happen?” 

“I may have been warned ...” Jughead admitted softly. 

Betty released a loud, shaky breath as soon as the words left his mouth and he swallowed nervously as he watched her walk to the other end of the room and away from him - her reaction doing absolutely nothing to quell the anxiety that still gripped and twisted around his heart. 

“And when were you planning on telling me?” she turned around to face him then, patiently waiting for his answer. 

“I was going to tell you, but I just -“ Jughead paused and ran his fingers through his hair, knowing that what he was about to say next would most likely not go down well, but he wasn’t prepared to lie to her, “I just didn’t want to worry you.”

“I see ...” Betty whispered after brief a moment of silence, her disheartened tone prompting Jughead to panic and stand up immediately, taking careful steps towards her. 

“I swear Betts, it’s not that I didn’t trust you or anything ...” he started to speak, but Betty held up her hand, silently asking him to stop. 

“You don’t have to explain ... I understand,” she said, “But why don’t we talk about this tomorrow, okay? It’s getting late.” 

“Okay.” Jughead sighed, reluctantly agreeing to wait. He had no desire to push her. Not tonight. 

After saying goodbye to Toni and Sweet Pea, who Betty thanked profusely for coming to his aid and keeping him safe, they hailed a cab - both of them ready to sleep off this evening and forget it ever happened. 

Betty didn’t say much of anything on the way home which didn’t comfort Jughead in the slightest. It didn’t seem like she was angry, but the fact that she hadn’t actually forgiven him yet was a hard and nerve wracking pill to swallow. 

Despite her apparently calm and stoic behaviour, Jughead knew that something was off and while a part of him wanted to know if she was mad at him or if she truly did understand like she said she did, a part of him didn’t.

He turned to look at her then, hoping to catch her eye and her attention, but her head was turned away from him, making it almost impossible to do either. He shifted beside her in the back of the cab and quietly cleared his throat, hoping it would be enough to shift her focus to him. 

It wasn’t. 

When they finally got back to the apartment, the evening had taken its toll on both of them and it showed, the exhaustion they felt clear on their faces. The adrenaline from the attack had finally worn off, making his fresh injuries ache painfully with every step he took now. 

“I think I’m just going to take a shower.” he said quietly. 

Out of habit, he half expected her to join him, but when she simply nodded her head and didn’t say anything, he felt his heart give a little and watched with disheartened eyes as she padded into her room and left him to it. 

The hot water helped like he hoped and suspected it would, seeping deep into his skin and bones, gently easing away the ache in his muscles and wounds, but doing absolutely nothing for the discomfort that now pinched and twisted in his heart. 

When he slipped beneath the covers a few minutes later, Betty was already lying on her side of the bed, fast asleep and he lay there in the distinct darkness for a moment, waiting - his foolish heart half expecting her to shuffle closer and close the empty space between them. 

She never did. 

 

*

 

When Jughead woke up the next morning, his aching body cold and alone beneath the sheets and duvet, his heart clenched painfully in his chest when he remembered that last night and everything that had happened was real. 

Betty was obviously still upset with him and she had every right to be, considering how open and honest they had always been with each other since day one. He turned over stiffly and glared up at the ceiling with angry tears pricking his eyes, hating himself in that moment for being such a moron. 

Even though his experience with relationships was limited, he knew just like everyone else, that a healthy one was built on a foundation of trust and more importantly honesty. He wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out that she was in fact furious with him and he only hoped giving her some space would eventually help to alleviate that. 

Dejected and resigned to a day of giving his girlfriend as much space as she needed, Jughead pulled back the covers and gingerly made his way through to living, his downtrodden heart breaking just a little bit more when he saw that there was no sign of her anywhere throughout the apartment. He was just about to make himself something for breakfast when the front door suddenly opened and Betty came in, holding two cups of fresh coffee in her hands. 

“Hey.” Jughead said cautiously, trying not to read into the fact that she had bought him a cup of coffee, despite the current circumstances. 

“Hi.” she said back, smiling slightly when she handed his cup to him. Again, he desperately tried not to read into the smile too much. 

He stared down at his coffee awkwardly, not exactly sure what to do next. Should he make the first move? Should he let her do it? Did she even want to talk about it right now? Did he? He honestly had no idea, but she was still standing here, right in front of him, so clearly she wanted something. 

“Listen Betts, I’m really sorry about last night ...” he trailed off when she sighed and put her coffee down, preparing himself for whatever she had to say next. 

“Jug, before you say anything I just want to tell you that I meant what I said last night, I understand why you decided not to tell me, but just because I understand doesn’t mean I’m not going to be a little upset ...” 

“And you have every right to be Betts, I honestly don’t know what I was thinking or why I thought not telling you would be a good idea.” 

“I do,” Betty said, stepping closer to him, “I slept on it last night and thought about it this morning when I went for a walk. I know you’re sorry and I know you were just trying to keep me safe, but Juggie as endearing as that is, I need you to remember something.” she took his hand then and squeezed it tightly, the action shocking him completely, “The reason why our relationship has worked so well thus far is because we’ve always been honest with each other about everything. I know who you are Jug, just like you know who I am and I don’t know about you, but I’m not afraid to face anything the future has up its sleeve for us as long as we do it together. I love you Juggie and I need you to remember that it’s going to take a lot more than this to scare me off.” 

Still trying to comprehend everything that had just happened, Jughead, who was completely stunned by her words and the mornings unexpected turn of events, immediately put his coffee down and pulled her close, desperate to have her near him again after hours of thinking he might never get the chance to do this again. 

“I love you so much Betty Cooper and I honestly don’t deserve someone as amazing as you.” he breathed the words against her ear, smiling brightly when she wrapped her arms around him as well and snuggled into his chest for a second. 

“Yes you do,” Betty said, pulling back to look at him. She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him gently, being very mindful of his tender injuries, “You deserve me, just like I deserve you.” 

“Even so Betts, if this experience has taught me anything its that I am never lying to you again for as long as I live.”

Betty giggled softly and kissed him again, her lips sending a wave of warmth through him and making his heart race. 

“Do you mind if I test that promise?” she asked curiously and he shrugged his shoulders in response, as if to say not at all. 

“That girl from last night ...” 

“Who, Toni?” Betty nodded and Jughead smirked, already guessing where this was going, “You want to know if there was anything between us at some point?” 

“Well yeah, I mean I think it’s a fair question, don’t you?” 

“Sure, as long as you’re sure you want to know the answer.” 

He noticed that Betty seemed a little dubious for a moment, her teeth gnawing on her lower lip before she nodded and finally told him that she wanted to know. 

“Well, it wasn’t anything special, but we kissed when we were 16 and then the next day she told me she was more into girls than guys. End of story.” 

“Oh my god!” Betty laughed hysterically, burying herself back into Jughead’s chest, “Are you serious?” 

“Dead serious,” Jughead chuckled as well, “How’s that for a masculinity killer?” 

“Okay, I’m not going to lie that’s pretty bad Juggie, but at the same time I’m kind of glad she said that to you, because if she hadn’t we probably wouldn’t have met.” 

“I seriously doubt that Betts, I’m fairly certain we would’ve found each other at some point.” 

“Oh yeah?” she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck, keeping him close, “What makes you so certain?” 

He pulled back to look at her this time, smiling down at her with so much love in his eyes that he wasn’t surprised at all when she managed to return it. He framed her face with his hands then and kissed her slowly, deeply - his actions easily answering her question. 

He loved her and she loved him - so much so that nothing, not even fate itself could keep them apart. 

For both of them, there was no doubt in their minds that their combined strength came from each other. 

It was as simple as that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated!! Xx


	19. Distractions and Closure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m not entirely happy with this chapter so please forgive me if it’s not my best, but I can’t keep editing it forever!! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it the second last chapter of this fic!! Xx 
> 
> Warning: Fluffy and smutty Bughead ahead ... ;)

“She walks in beauty, like the night   
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;   
And all that’s best of dark and bright   
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;   
Thus mellowed to that tender light   
Which heaven to gaudy day denies ...” 

Betty closed her eyes and leaned back into Jughead’s chest, listening idly as the rest of the poem was read out to the crowded room of The Literary Heroes book club members, already certain that she knew what the correct answer was. 

She Walks in Beauty by George Gordon aka Lord Byron. 

It was one of her favourites and while she normally would’ve jumped at the opportunity to answer it, her mind was too preoccupied with a plethora of frenetic thoughts to really find the motivation. So she kept her mouth shut for once and allowed someone else to take the glory, her mind only really snapping back to reality when she heard the familiar sound of Jughead’s laughter in her ears mixed with the loud applause that filled the room. 

It had been a few weeks since his incident with the Serpents and while everything between them was back to normal and undeniably fantastic once again, another element of her life had now appeared with the potential to upset the apple cart all over again. 

Betty knew that her mother had an ungodly level of determination, to the point where she would mercilessly chase after something until she finally got her hands on it, but her father? Betty had never really associated that kind of behavior with him and yet here he was, desperately trying to convince her to do something she had absolutely no interest in doing. 

Ever since the complete and utter disaster that was Christmas, she had successfully managed to avoid anything related to her mother, but for the last couple of weeks that had close to impossible thanks to her father and his gentle insistence that she take a moment to accept her mother’s persistent phone calls and hear her out. 

It was a situation Betty found both confusing and surprising, given that like her, Hal Cooper had been stuck under his wife’s thumb for years in a relationship that shifted as frequently as the day to day weather. 

So, what had suddenly changed in the last couple of months that would make him think otherwise? She had no idea, but she wasn’t ready or even that interested to find out just yet. 

She deliberated this question for the rest of the evening instead of enjoying it with Jughead, that was until they arrived back at the apartment and he grabbed her hand, gently pulling her back towards him.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked her quietly, his blue eyes filled with obvious concern as he looked her over. 

“I’m fine Juggie, Betty replied softly, “I’m just a little tired.” She moved to step away, but he held her back. 

“Are you sure?” he pressed gently, “I’m only asking because you seemed a little quiet this evening almost like you weren’t really enjoying yourself.” 

Betty sighed heavily and dropped her eyes to the ground, not really sure what to say next. 

He wasn’t wrong. It was the first time in a long time that she hadn’t enjoyed a Literary Heroes meeting, but she really wasn’t in the mood to talk about her mother and while she knew that Jughead would be more than sympathetic, it wasn’t enough to really change her mind right now, but still, he was clearly worried about her and to be honest, she couldn’t really blame him given how off-ish she had been all evening. 

“Betts?” Jughead said after a prolonged silence fell between them, his already present frown deepening even more, “Is this about that phone call with your dad?” he asked. 

“Which one?” she joked feebly, letting out a laugh before she caught sight of his face again, a soft sigh escaping from her lips this time when she saw the questioning look he gave her. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Not really,” Betty admitted honestly, shaking her head before she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried herself into his chest, “I know you’re only trying to help Jug and while I do appreciate it I just don’t want to talk about my family right now.”

To her relief, Jughead wrapped his arms around her as well and nodded his head in understanding. 

“Okay,” he said, bending down slightly to give her a soft peck on the lips, “Would you like me to run you a bath? It might help you unwind.”

Betty nodded as well and smiled up at him affectionately. She always loved how attentive he was around her and how effortlessly he always accepted this side of her without pretending to understand what she was going through or how she felt. He was simply there for her and that was all she needed. Especially now. 

“Only if you’ll join me though?” she said coyly, reaching up to kiss him affectionately on the lips while her hands moved over the planes of his back slowly. He grinned and quickly settled his mouth over hers again, kissing her thoroughly and with clear intent this time, his arms tightening and pulling her flush against him. 

“You don’t have to ask me twice Betts.” 

 

Of course like so many times before whether it was actually planned or not, bathing together turned out to be the prefect catalyst to ignite and then fuel what came next and it wasn’t long until soft, innocent kisses and light, sensual touches gave way to a more ravenous and hungry kind of passion. 

They barely made it to the bed, their naked bodies still wet and trembling with obvious desperation and want as they stumbled into their room and fell down onto the sheets together, kissing each other fervently and without restraint.

They kissed languidly for a moment, their tongues curling and rubbing against each other’s in a slow and unhurried pace. The whole experience felt liberating and Betty could barely breathe with every glorious second that passed, acutely aware of the incredible effect Jughead always had on her. 

She slipped her fingers into his damp strands of hair and gasped with a mix of resounding surprise and pleasure when he suddenly moved, trailing his rough fingers and warm mouth along her neck, over her breasts and down the length of her body in a series of long, worshiping kisses and soft, yet sultry touches, causing her to squirm desperately and whimper beneath him, silently begging for more. 

“Do you want me to help you forget Betts,” he asked, the sound of his voice laced with so much need and desire sent shivers down her spine as he moved his mouth down, closer to where she wanted him the most, “Do you want me to distract you?” 

Betty could only moan in response, her words failing to even form in her brain when she felt his warm breath against her inner thigh. He sucked on the skin he found there gently, long enough to leave a faint mark. 

“Betts?” he asked again, smoothing his hands along her thighs. 

“Yes please.” Betty sobbed a little desperately. 

“Please what?” he looked at her, his eyes black and heated with desire. 

“Distract me.” she breathed, moaning seconds later when he finally dragged his tongue over her already aching center, and just like that she forgot about all of it, every troublesome thought that had been plaguing her for the last few weeks was now gone, lost somewhere in the back of her mind where they could stay forever. 

She closed her eyes and focused on him and every he was doing. Relishing in the movements of his mouth and the unbelievable pleasure his skilled tongue and fingers gave her when he added them as well. She came surprisingly and embarrassingly fast, but instead of stopping like he usually did, Jughead carried on, his strong arm keeping her hips pinned to the mattress as he sucked on her still sensitive flesh relentlessly, until her second orgasm came rushing along as quickly as the first. 

Both of them breathing heavily now, he covered her body with his again and kissed her intensely, the taste of her arousal on his tongue suddenly making it impossible for her to even think about calming down. 

“Juggie ...” Betty breathed her voice breaking when he suddenly thrusted himself into her, stretching and filling her up both deliciously and completely. 

“God, you feel so tight Betts .. So amazing.” 

He rocked his hips into hers swiftly, the mind blowing and phenomenal sensation slowly building them both towards release. Betty clutched at the strong muscles on his back urgently, certain that she would never get over how amazing sex with Jughead always felt, how it somehow felt just as good as it did the first time, maybe even a little better. 

“I love you.” he said then, a long groan slipping from his mouth when she wrapped her legs around his hips, allowing him to sink into her even deeper. 

“I love you too.” she chanted against his ear, her breathy moans becoming breathless sighs as she started to quiver and then fell apart beneath him, crying out blissfully into the darkness around them just as he groaned deeply against her neck, his body stiffening and jerking above hers. 

They lay there for a long moment, clinging to each other, still connected and trying to calm down when Betty sighed shakily with relief, because the only thing that was on her mind right now was him and everything else she still wanted to do. 

*

When Betty woke up the following morning, happy and completely sated and with a fresh bank of satisfying memories from the night before, she yawned lazily and stretched her sore and aching muscles, expecting to feel Jughead’s warm body lying beside her only to be left mildly disappointed when she didn’t. They had made love twice more before they finally fell asleep and her mind was finally freed of any thoughts relating to her mother and father. 

She sat up and looked around, seeing no obvious sign of him around their room apart from his distinct personal touches that were visible everywhere since they had moved in together. She sighed and was about to slip out of bed to go and look for him when the bedroom door suddenly opened and he walked in, fully awake and already dressed for the day. 

“Good, you’re finally up.” Jughead said happily as he walked over to the curtains and yanked them open, allowing the morning sun to stream in. Betty squinted against the harsh light and ran her fingers through her messy hair, still trying to wake up properly. 

“And you’re unnecessarily and uncharacteristically peppy this morning.” she said, frowning at him. He chuckled and bent down to give her quick peck on the lips. 

“And you’ll find out why I am as soon as you get dressed and meet me downstairs.” Betty eyed him curiously, recognizing that all too familiar look in his eyes. 

“And where exactly are we going? It’s a Sunday we usually stay in don’t we?” 

“We do, but I think you’ll like this a lot more than staying in.” Jughead smiled at her warmly and sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to tuck a few strands of lose hair behind her ear. 

“And I suppose you’re not going to tell me what ‘this’ is, right?” Betty said with a crooked smile, already knowing what the answer would be. 

“Correct,” Jughead said, his lips pulling into a playful smirk before he leaned in and kissed her again, “Just make sure you wear something ... appropriate.” 

“Appropriate?” Betty repeated, raising an eyebrow in question. 

“Something simple and comfortable.”

“I need you to be a little more specific than that, Jug.” he chuckled and so did she. 

“Just don’t wear dresses, skirts or high heels, okay?,” he reached out and gently caressed her cheek, “Just be your wonderful, beautiful self Betts.” 

Betty grinned at him and leaned into the warmth of his touch. She would never admit it, but she loved surprises and she absolutely loved it when he did things like this - the romance of it all allowing her to enjoy the growing thrill she suddenly felt coursing through her body. 

“I’ll see you in a bit Betts.” he said warmly, before he stood up and quietly left the room. 

 

When Betty came downstairs around ten minutes later, wearing a pair of jeans, sneakers, a white vest and one of Jughead’s comfortable hoodies, she stumbled on the last step and almost face planted right into the sidewalk when she saw him waiting for her. 

He was leaning casually against the seat of his bike (which she hadn’t seen since their evening at Declan’s all those months ago), beanie-less and with a bright, crooked smile on his face. 

“Easy there.” he said with a chuckle, his eyes filled with mild amusement.

“Shut up.” she grumbled, failing to stop herself from smiling even slightly, “I hope you don’t mind that I’m wearing this.” she said, straightening the hoodie. 

“Not at all,” Jughead said, “You know I love it when you wear my clothes.” 

Betty blushed beetroot red as she stepped towards him, eying the bike with so much excitement she could barely contain it. She had spent a good chunk of time over the winter months thinking about the prospect of going for another ride and now that Spring was here she was glad that she finally could. 

“So are you finally going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked. 

“Now why would ruin a perfectly good surprise?” Jughead said with a smirk. 

“Because I asked you nicely?” 

“True, you did ask my nicely Betts, but just think this could be such a really great opportunity for you to work on exercising a little patience.” Jughead smiled at her roguishly and Betty rolled her eyes. 

“You’re such an ass.” she giggled, watching as he bent down and picked up the pack back sitting next to him off the floor.

“Would you mind?” he asked, gesturing to the bag. 

Betty immediately shook her head and helped him slip the straps over her shoulders at once. It wasn’t very heavy which made her wonder what was even in it. He straddled his bike next and handed her a helmet which Betty quickly strapped on before she sat down on the bike as well, both of her arms wrapping around his torso so she could snuggle into his back. 

“Are you ready?” he asked over his shoulder. Betty nodded and seconds later the bike revved to life. 

*

It took them about an hour and a half to get out of the city and reach their destination, which to Betty’s immense surprise was a beautiful and quiet expanse of beach with a magnificent view of the city towering in the very distance. She was a little stunned by the sight, so much so, that she didn’t move for a few seconds, still trying to take it all in. She loved the beach - a little something she had mentioned to him in the very early stages of their relationship. 

“I figured with everything you’re going through with your family at the moment that you could use a little distraction,” Jughead draped his arm over Betty’s shoulders and kissed the side of her head, instantly snapping her back to reality. She looked at him and smiled softly, promoting him to continue, “I was think about it last night and I remembered you saying once that you loved the beach so I immediately thought of this place.” 

“It’s beautiful,” Betty whispered, turning slightly so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him, so deeply and with so much appreciation ensuring that by the time they pulled apart his frantically beating heart was bursting with pure love and happiness, just like hers, “Thank you so much Juggie. This is by far the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.” 

“You’re welcome Betts, anything to make you happy.” he whispered back before he kissed her again. 

 

Betty sighed contently and snuggled into Jughead’s side and chest even more, feeling the warmth of the mild spring day sun gently beating down on them. They hadn’t moved from their current position for almost an hour now, both of them too busy enjoying the serenity of the mostly empty beach and the sound of the rolling waves crashing rhythmically against the sandy shore. 

This was exactly what she needed. A quiet and undisturbed distraction. One designed to gently ease her mind and help make sense of the frenetic thoughts that were still bouncing around her mind at the moment. 

There was no point in denying that a decision would have to be made soon - even if it meant exposing herself to a scenario where old, but deep wounds, both physical and mental, could potentially be torn opened again. 

She felt the scars on her hands tingle at the sudden thought and quickly grabbed a fistful of Jughead’s t shirt in response, hoping it would be enough to chase away the all to familiar sensation. 

The desperate action worked, but only for a moment her thoughts still refusing to forget the source of her anxiety. It was only when Jughead brought his hand up to hers that things finally changed. 

She didn’t fight him when she felt his fingers gently loosened the grip she had on his shirt and she definitely didn’t protest when he lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed the marred skin he found there, his surprisingly soft and simple touches acting as the perfect barrier she needed. 

“I’m right here Betts.” she heard him say and she realised then that after last night and today he was her distraction in more ways than one way. 

~~~

It took Betty two days after their visit to the beach for her to make a decision about her mother and after some gentle pushing from Jughead, she finally agreed to speak with her, but only in person and with a few extra people around to ensure that the situation wouldn’t imploded on her completely. 

As a result, they came up with the idea to invite their respective families over for dinner so that they could meet and see the apartment, not of them hoping that the presence of Jellybean and Jane would manage to keep Alice in check. 

Her parents drove up the following weekend and with their imminent arrival only minutes away, Betty was so anxious she could hardly stand still for more than a few seconds. 

“Maybe you should have something to drink?” JB suggested from her place on the counter, when Betty started pacing the length of the kitchen with her hands clasped together tightly. 

“I’m not sure getting tipsy is the best way to deal with my mom.” Betty murmured, giving Jughead’s sister a grateful smile for the suggestion anyway. “I’m technically still trying to decide what course of action I should actually take with her.” 

“Well, maybe a drink would help you make up your mind,” JB insisted, “If there’s one thing I know after sixteen years it’s that alcohol takes the edge off.” 

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Jughead said disapprovingly and out of know where, momentarily startling both of them. 

“Oh please,” JB snorted, “Don’t act like you didn’t drink anything when you were sixteen Mr Jughead-I’m-too-cool-to-follow-the-rules-Jones.” 

Jughead glared at his sister and Betty bit back a huge smile and a laugh, the hilarious exchange offering her a temporary relief from her anxiety fueled thoughts. 

“Whatever, listen JB can you please give us a minute?” he asked, ignoring the way she smirked at him when she hopped off the counter and happily left the room. He sighed and rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to Betty, his brow creasing when he saw the unmistakable discomfort on her face. 

“Betts,” he said, taking a step towards her, “Don’t be nervous babe. She’s just here to talk and I know you have no idea what’s she going to say or do tonight, but I’m pretty sure she’s not coming all the way here to start a fight.” 

“I know she’s not,” Betty’s sighed, “But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be a little cautious or even expectant. I just don’t know what I’ll do if she starts something or -“ she paused for a second and Jughead used the opportunity to close the distance between them completely, engulfing her a warm hug as soon as he got the chance. 

“Betts, if you’re worried about her potentially ruining anything tonight ... don’t be. You’ve already stood up to your mother once and I have no doubt you be able do it again if you have to,” he pulled back to look at her and smiled warmly, “Besides, something tells me you’re mother isn’t the type of person to cause a scene with strangers around.” 

Betty giggled at the comment and kissed him appreciatively, taking his words to heart. He was right after all. She had faced Alice Cooper and lived to tell the tale. This time wouldn’t be any different. 

Jughead answered the door when someone knocked on it a few minutes later and Betty, who was standing in the living room talking to Jellybean and Jane, took a deep straying breath when both of her parents stepped into view. 

“Jeez, who shoved the stick up her ass?” JB murmured, frowning slightly when she took notice of Alice and her stiff, uptight stature. Betty bumped the young girls shoulder playfully and gnawed on her bottom lip in an effort to stop herself from smiling before she went over to greet her parents and properly introduce everyone. 

“Thank you for finally agreeing to do this sweetheart.” Hal whispered in her ear, when Betty gave him a welcoming hug. 

“No problem Dad, I just hope it’s worthwhile.” Betty whispered back. 

Once the introductions had been made and everyone had settled down in the living room, Betty quickly excused herself and went through to the kitchen to check on dinner once again, forcing herself not to object when her mother offered to help. 

“I must say, this apartment really is lovely.” Alice said quietly, trying to make conversation while she watched her daughter check on the food. Betty turned to look at her mother and sighed when she saw how vulnerable she looked. That alone was a very rare sight, one that persuaded Betty to relax a little and give her mother the benefit of the doubt. 

“Look mom -“ she started to say, but Alice immediately shook her head, halting her daughters words at once. 

“Please don’t say anything Betty - if anyone should be apologising right now it’s me,” she paused and self - consciously straightened her shirt out of habit, “I know that it won’t be that simple. That I can’t just walk back into your life, but I want you to know that I truly am sorry for what I said to Jughead and everything I have ever done to you and I really am sorry it took me this long to see the error of my ways. I don’t expect you to forgive me right away or to even welcome me back with open arms. All I’m asking for is an opportunity to show you that I’m capable of changing and that I want too.” 

“That’s fine mom, but I need you to understand that this isn’t just about the way you treat people, it’s about the fact that you don’t trust me to make decisions on my own. I’m an adult and I know you’re worried that I’m going to make mistakes, but I need you to trust me when I say that I’ll find a way to make things right on my own,” Alice nodded and Betty smiled at her softly, “I’m willing to give you one more chance, but if you give me one good reason to take it away I will, okay?” 

Alice nodded immediately, allowing a few tears of gratitude to escape and run down her cheeks, completely stunned and overwhelmed by her daughters forgiving nature once again.

Maybe it was a mistake to forgive her mother again after a childhood of being let down and maybe it was silly to think that her apology would stick this time, but Betty wasn’t the type to really give up on anyone - always trying to find the good inside them if she could and she knew that beneath that strict exterior and stern nature, Alice Cooper was more than she appeared to be. 

It would take time, but at least they were on the road to recovery and closure and that was good enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, you’re thoughts and comments are always appreciated!!


	20. Affinity and Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are at the end. 
> 
> I can’t believe this story is finally over and I’m so overwhelmed by the incredible response to it. It’s been an absolute pleasure to write and I’m going to miss writing these two so very much!! 
> 
> Thank you again for all the love and support... it really has meant the world to me. 
> 
> Stay tuned for more fics in the future .. :) Xx

Early mornings were quickly becoming Jughead’s favourite time of day. 

He never thought it would actually be possible for him like waking up at the crack of dawn, but that was before he had met Betty Cooper. 

Now he lived for it. 

He couldn’t help but smile softly as he watched her sleeping soundly beside him, her warm body pressed against his, her lips slightly parted to allow for her soft breathing. She was beautiful in every sense of the word and even after almost a year of being together he was still completely astonished by everything that was purely her. 

Everyday was different, but somehow still the same. They had a routine - one they had grown accustomed to, but loosely followed. 

Most mornings started off just like this, with both of them encapsulated in each other’s warmth and the soft, early morning light trickling through a small crack in the curtains. After that they spent the hours of the day between 9 to 5 within the book clad walls of The Paperback, long and lazy evenings were spent on the couch or in their bed - snuggling, talking, laughing, watching movies, making love or even just sleeping after a long day of work. 

They cooked together on nights when they didn’t order in and whenever they got the chance they would go exploring together as well - reserving the precious and beloved days of the weekend for doing whatever they had planned, whether it was something or nothing at all. It was incredibly easy, comfortable and insanely domestic, but it was only one side of their multifaceted relationship. 

Despite the popular belief that the intensity of most relationships starts to dwindle and settle down as time passes, theirs remained as constant as ever. The unforgettable spark that had drawn them to each other all those months ago was prominent and still very much there, ensuring that no matter the circumstances, they were always close to each other, taking every opportunity they could to touch and kiss. 

There were no doubts between them. No lies or complications to stagnate their ever growing relationship. And of course, like any normal couple they argued, but unlike most coupes they made up quickly and in the best way possible - by talking it out first and physically expressing their love for each other later. 

He remembered her reading a poem to him once. One written by Debra A Baugh. 

An Affinity Entwined.

He remembered her mentioning that it reminded her of that deep, unspoken connection between them. How they had this beautiful affinity for each other. A great understanding that solidified the strings that now linked them together everyday. That they were soulmates. 

He remembered teasing her about it, about the romanticism of it all. His playful prying making her laugh and blush before he scoped her up in his arms and slowly brought her to a blissful fulfillment using his hands and his mouth first and then their bodies, both of them working in tandem to get to nirvana. 

He also remembered lying in bed that same night with her soft, naked body wrapped around his - thinking. He remembered the poem. Every word. The words echoing in his mind on a near constant loop as he tried and failed to fall asleep. 

//As night fell, winds whispered his  
name; I curled into its breeze as  
each leaf danced in syllabic count  
with each breath he'd breathe.

I'd smile as he'd toss and turn  
emanating masculinities  
ambrosia, fingertip tracing  
lightly as not to awaken him,  
absorbing the moment of us.

Fore, I know there'd never be  
another that can arouse emotive  
ruminations of him and I as I look  
upon his slumbering countenance.

Wanting to slide within his warmth,  
embracing the ambiance of what  
we have between us, an affinity  
of lifetime entwined.//

Those last five words resonating with him more than anything else. 

“An affinity of lifetime entwined.”

Were they really soulmates? 

For a good chunk of his life Jughead had never really believed in the idea of having a soulmate - one person made specifically for you and only you. He reserved that kind of thinking for the optimists and idealists in this world, but once again, that had been before their fateful meeting. 

Now he realised, that he did. 

He had no choice but to believe in that now, simply because he found it impossible to imagine that two people from two completely different walks of life, living in a world filled with billions of people would somehow end up living in the same city and, through a mutual acquaintance, subsequently ended up working at the same bookstore, could find each other any other way. 

He was certain that fate or some other universally powerful force had created the circumstances that ultimately brought them together and now he couldn’t imagine himself with anyone but her or even what that life would be like. He loved her and like a vital organ he knew he would never be able to live without her. 

“Jug?” she mumbled quietly, snapping him back to the present. She was looking at him with soft green eyes, her blonde hair slightly disheveled. She never looked more beautiful than she did in these moments that were purely theirs. 

“Morning Betts,” he smiled at her warmly and moved, rolling her gently until she was lying on her back, “How’s my girl this morning?” 

“I don’t know, how does she look?” Betty murmured, clearly still half asleep. He chuckled lightly and leaned in close, kissing her like he had all the time in the world, which, in a way, kind of felt like he did.

“I guess I look good enough to kiss.” she said, smiling up at her boyfriend affectionately when he finally pulled back. 

“You’ always look beautiful to me Betts.” he said. She rolled her eyes and then to his surprise she rolled them, his heart suddenly pounding against his chest when he saw that all too familiar smirk on her lips. 

God, he was would never get over that ... he would never get over the way she looked at him - like he was the only person in the world to her. 

“You know, I don’t think you know how corny you can be sometimes,” she skimmed her hands lightly over his bare chest, her smile only growing when the muscles twitched beneath her finger tips, “In fact, I’m beginning to question just how tough you really were ... Forsythe.” 

She was teasing him and he knew it, having been on the receiving end of Betty’s tongue-in-cheek games more than once. He narrowed his eyes at her and a loud squeal of surprise fell from her lips when he flipped them again. She wriggled beneath him, but it only lasted for a moment before he pinned her to the mattress with his body weight and grabbed her hands, holding them above her head with his one large, hand clamped around her delicate wrists to keep them there. 

“You feel like retracting that statement now Betts?” he asked in a low voice, his eyes taking on a heated glint when she smirked back at him and pressed her hips against his even more in response. Defiant as always. 

“Who’s to say I didn’t plan for this.” 

“You know, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised ...” he said with a chuckle before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her slow and deep when she moaned into it and he slipped his tongue into her mouth. 

His grip on her hands loosened with every second that passed between them and she slowly pulled them from his grasp, sliding her fingers into his thick strands of hair as soon as she got the chance. Their actions un-rushed and steady. 

“I’m going to ask you to marry me one day Betty Cooper.” he whispered when they finally pulled apart, so softly he wasn’t sure if she had actually heard him or not. 

He stared down at her for a moment, his eyes shining with pure love and warmth, trying to read her as best he could and he could practically feel his thumping heart twist nervously while he waited to hear her response to the words he’d been wanting to say for weeks now. 

She smiled up at him and trailed her fingers along the sharp line of his jaw, the amorous look in his eyes reflected back to in hers. She leaned up then and kissed him tenderly, the simple yet endearing action along with the words she spoke next turning his mind to mush and setting his heart alight. 

“And I’ll be waiting to say ‘Yes’ when you do.” she whispered back, blushing madly under his intense eyes. Something stirred in him and he groaned softly when he kissed her again, both of them wanting nothing more than to drive each other out of theirs minds now. 

~~~

*Two months later*

Anniversaries weren’t common place for Jughead. In fact he’d never been with anyone long enough to celebrate one, but that was about to change. 

It had been 365 days since he had walked into The Paperback and seen her, standing on the stores second storey with her big gorgeous eyes focused solely on him - the same gorgeous green eyes that now filled his dreams every night and his thoughts every day. 

He was sitting on a bench, tapping his foot nervously on the ground while he waited, trying in vain to calm himself down. He’d asked her to meet him in Central Park - in their spot where she had taken that picture months ago and now that she was only a few minutes away from arriving, his already frantic heart had gone into overdrive. 

It was that time of year again and while the red and golden leaves of fall swirled around him in the gentle breeze, he was beyond terrified - not entirely sure if the surprise he had planned for her with would have the desired effect or if it would backfire on him completely. 

He’d been told that it wouldn’t - by Archie and Veronica when they came up to visit two weeks ago and by Kevin and Moose who had both been sworn to secrecy as soon as they found out a few days ago. 

He trusted the opinions of his friends, but that didn’t stop him from being a little anxious still. After all, this was a pretty massive step he was about to take with her. 

He felt like they were ready for it though with him working intermittently as a freelance writer and Betty well on her way to possibly publishing her first novel, he couldn’t think of a better way to expand on what they already had. He loved her and she loved him. It was right. It had to be. 

He was in the middle of practicing what he was going to say when he saw her walking towards him out the corner of his eye. She looked insanely beautiful as always and the mind blowing, dazzling smile she wore she she saw him as well made his heart burst and flutter with a mixture of anxiety and love. 

And suddenly everything slowed and it all made sense. 

The last year and everything they had been through together. Every trial and moment they had encountered and fought through had led them here ... to this perfect moment - and it was a perfect moment. He wouldn’t call it anything else. Not when he had her for what he hoped would be for the rest of his life. 

He brushed his fingers over the small box in his pocket, feeling the soft velvet beneath his finger tips, and he stood up when she closed the remaining distance between them with a run, catching her effortlessly when she jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly, her soft lips finding his no more than a few seconds later. 

He knew in that moment that what he was about to do was right. That he was making the right choice. There was no rush. No need to jump head first into anything just yet. They could take their time as long as it ended the way he wanted it too. 

It was like what that poem she had read to him once said.

//Fore, I know there'd never be  
another that can arouse emotive  
ruminations of him and I as I look  
upon his slumbering countenance.

Wanting to slide within his warmth,  
embracing the ambiance of what  
we have between us, an affinity  
of lifetime entwined.//

Well this was it, he realised - This was their great affinity. And it would be theirs forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts and comments are always appreciated Xx

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr Night-Hawk94


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